Here are my notes from Bible Study last night. No video, sorry!
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Spiraling Out of Control
Do you remember the sit and spin? A great toy, right? Much like you spun out of control tonight in the game in the gym, the sit and spin did the same thing. You would sit on this toy ping until you thought you were going to spin off of it. Then you would get up and try to walk and you felt as if you were about to walk into the ceiling.
Physically spinning out of control when involved in a game is fun. A life spinning out of control is a whole different thing though.
Many times people get some dizzy from a life out of control that they further complicate their life in a variety of different manners:
Drugs, Alcohol, Gangs, Unhealthy relationships, alternative lifestyles, self-harm, and many other things. They do this to stop the spinning, but they actually speed up the sit and spin of life. By the time they realize what is going on they are falling on the floor of life, gasping for air, and getting sick from the spinning.
So how do you stop the spinning and start regaining focus? How do you get it all back under control?
Discipline
Mark 1:35 (NIV)
35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up
1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
Intimacy with God
Mark 1:35 (NIV)
35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Stop living according to others expectations and start living according to God’s
Mark 1:36-37 (NIV)
36Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Learn to say NO! (WHEN NECESSARY)
Mark 1:38 (NIV)
38Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
Live intentionally and not crazy
Mark 1:38-39 (NIV)
38Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Ok, so as part of my summer reading (for pleasure since I am finally out of school) I am reading both of Francis Chan’s books, Forgotten God and Crazy Love. Since everyone is crazy about Crazy Love, I started with Forgotten God. I like to swim against the current, because that is how I roll. Anyway, So I got to the chapter about Why do You Want Him (the Spirit). The chapter dives in to are you called to be where you are? Then is starts talking about the calling within the body and how important that is. He brings up 1 Cor 12 (below)
12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
So then he says this, “Ask yourself, Do I believe that the church needs me like the body needs the mouth?” Do we really ask ourselves this question enough. So often we turn our backs on the body for so many reasons and never think, “Am I leaving the body without an arm?” “Am I leaving the body without it’s foot today?” Is the body going to be missing it’s ears today?” I think we need to work on being a little less selfish with our own time and more concerned about the body as a whole. The body is hurting in America and it is time for it’s parts to start coming back together!
Posted by Michael Walters on June 10th, 2010 | 0 comments
If you cannot view the embedded video, see it here… http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7552505
Here are my rough notes from this study…
Commitment and Truthfulness
NAME SOME THINGS THAT YOU ARE COMMITTED TO…
NOW TELL ME THE CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING YOUR COMMITMENT…
I find it amazing that in this day and age, we have such a hard time with commitment.
The amazing thing is that we commit to things that are not important and we reject commitment to Christ or things associated with His church.
Matthew 5:33-37
33″Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Here is the problem we live in today.
We get saved and thus agree to follow the commands of Christ.
God gives us a list of things he expects and it is written out in front of us.
We know his expectations, yet we reject them readily. We say God expects too much. So often we do this with anything associated with Church, but let’s look at the other side of the coin and see what would happen if we did the same things to the world that we do to God.
Talking to God – Never talk to a friend, significant other, club member, or co-worker
Attendance in the house of the Lord – What if you attended school or a job like you attend church?
Doing the work of the Lord – Same scenario as above
Sin – What if you disobeyed a teacher, boss, or parent the way you disobey God?
Through out some other stuff…
Matthew 16:24-26 (New International Version)
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Here is the thing… This comment tells us that our old way of thinking needs to go away and we need to develop a Christ centric method of thought. Some of us have hung on to or developed a new, old way of thinking. It is time to be sold out to Christ. See what Christ said… He did not say to check in periodically with him when it fits our schedule. No, he said, take up the cross and follow him, indefinately.
WE ARE SO UNCOMMITTED WHEN IT COMES TO CHRIST.
WE ARE SO COMMITTED TO THIS WORLD AND ITS SIN!
We will readily skip quiet times, Bible Study, and church to do anything, but we will rarely skip anything of this world to spend extra time with God.
What has happened? Why are we so uncommitted to God in this day and age? Why is anything of God up for question, rejection, and so easy to bail out of?
How can we raise the bar?
Realize that God is jealous…
Deut 6:13-15
13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.
TRUTHFULNESS
Colossians 3:9-10 (New International Version)
9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
PEOPLE THINK A LITTLE LIE CAN PROTECT OR HELP? No, do not lie to each other.
John 3:19-21 (New International Version)
19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
IF YOU ARE DOING THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO HIDE, THINK ABOUT IT! Good and light are not compatible with lies and the dark.
No video? Visit http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7051897
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Here are my personal notes on this Bible Study
The Christian Life on THE INSIDE
Romans 10:9-13
9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
So let’s look at the work of God on the inner man:
New Creation: 2 Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Born again by the spirit: John 3:3-8
3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. ”
4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Eternal life/Never Perishing: John 10:25-30
Can hear and obey the voice of God: John 10:27
25Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”
Washed and Sanctified and Justified: 1 Cor 6:9-11
9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Is capable of resisting sin: 1 Cor 10:13
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
A treasure in the vessel of the body: 2 Cor 4:7
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this allsurpassing power is from God and not from us.
Empowered: Romans 8:11
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Final Thoughts:
What happens when you are changed from the inside out?
Philippians 2:1-11
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature ◙ God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature ◙ of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Strengthens by the LAW OF GOD
Colossians 2:6-8
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Announcements:
Sunday – Grads be in sanctuary at 10:15 am
Sunday – Be here Sunday night to give gifts to new 6th graders
June 2 – Pool Party at the giers
June 3 – Six Flags – Money is due this Sunday, May 23
Posted by Michael Walters on May 7th, 2010 | 9 comments
Ok, so today I had an encounter that showed me how much church life needs to change in relation to judgmental Christian attitudes. This knowledge given to me hurt me deeply today! Climbing on my soapbox now.
For about 2 years now we have been homeschooling our children with a local Christian Homeschool cover. Each friday I take the kids to co-op. It has been a joy seeing our kids develop new friends and learn so much great stuff. The relationships that I have built is another story. I have developed no relationships. As a matter of fact, I can count the number of people that actually know who I even am on both hands, but I would not need all the fingers. No one took the time to get to know me, the new homeschooling dad. #1, I am a dad (most of these folks are women), #2, I am new (pretty tight knit group), #3, I do not look like the rest of them (I am a youth minister, so I dress a little different, talk a little different, act a little different… I actually have more in common with the teens than the parents.)
I am not making jabs, but something was brought to my attention today that hurt deeply. On the first Friday of each month is homeschool skate day and each month I am there with my kids. I have been at this skate day at least a dozen times. Each month I am there with my kids and I usually have my head buried in a book (been trying to finish my masters degree). I do not necessarily look for interaction as I am able to get alot of studying accomplished while the kids are skating. I do love it when someone talks to me though, makes me feel less invisible. I can never find a place to sit unless it is one of the pylons where kids put on their skates or a corner near the exit. I sit, get comfortable, and read. Last month, the place was more crowded than usual and I found one place to sit (next to the prize wheel). I sat their the whole time and then headed home, not knowing I was being stared down and judged very critically. Now remember, I have been doing this for 2 years and no one knows me.
So today, the crowd was thinner than normal and I actually got a table. I sat down with my iphone and a book and proceeded to read. Then someone came over and introduced themselves with the comment, are you new to our group? I said no and told her how long I have been doing this. She said, “and I am just now meeting you?” I tol her how I can never find a seat, so I usually find a corner and read. She said, “were you sitting next to the prize wheel last month?” I said yes. She said, “I got several e-mails about you last month, worried about the guy by the door.” I said, why? Well, they said you were by the door and looked sketchy. I said, “I looked like I do today (black t-shirt, jeans, converse), do I look sketchy to you?” She said, honestly, no, but you do not look like the other homeschool parents either though. I said, I have been doing this for 2 years and you are one of just a few people who has even bothered to get to know my outside of my church members. I went on to tell her that I am a youth minister, about my family, etc. We had a good conversation. She apologized to me for the others in the group not being more welcoming. See, this is The big problem, NO ONE HAS EVER TRIED TO GET TO KNOW ME! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. This burns me up. See here is the thing, if people would have taken the time to observe closer, they would have see a christian t-shirt or to write love on her arms shirt. They would have seen me reading the book, “Knowing God.” Homeschoolers who gripe about the lack of social acceptance of their chosen educational path who are judging one of their own with no effort to get to know me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe they need the same recognition as public or private schools!
Here is the deal though, if I, as a minister got judged this way, think about the lost who do not fit our cooker cutter mold. I am sorry, but I do not ever plan to wear pullover knit golf shirts, dockers, etc. That is just not my style. I am not a typical 35 year old. I am a 17 year old trapped in a 35 year old body (just ask my wife). I do not like the typical church mentality, I think it scares off the unchurched! When will we stop trying to fit people to the mold we want to start going to the lost like Christ did. We have become the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Christ went to the weirdos, misfits, and ostracized people of this world. Here is the thing, what if I had been depressed, overwhelmed, feeling lost and abandoned. All these people would have done is written a bunch of e-mails talking about the guy by the door and never would have done anything to reach out to me. This is unacceptable behavior by people in the church. It is time for us to start reaching out instead of slamming people down based on appearances (clothing, skin tone, tattoos, body piercing, whatever).
Now, please don’t get me wrong, I love our homeschool group (I wish we could keep doing it). I love the group activities. I love the faith based education. The problem, they shot one of their own and do not even know it.
Well, I shall now climb down from my soapbox. I apologize if I offended, but this needed to be said.
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