Tonight we watched a (somewhat bizarre) video about forgiveness. In this video, Rob Bell makes some interesting points about forgiveness. He explains that forgiveness = freedom. When you forgive someone you are obviously giving them freedom. But the other side of this is that by setting them free you are actually setting yourself free. Another good point he makes is that if you can’t forgive someone, you are basically telling God that you don’t trust Him to ‘take care of business.’
Today’s society makes it very clear that we are supposed to get even, whatever the cost. God’s kingdom is the exact opposite, though, and that shouldn’t surprise us.
That led us to discuss the way this works, and we came up with some questions.
Deep questions…
1) If we ask for forgiveness and God forgives us, will we still be ‘held accountable’ for it?
2) If we don’t forgive someone, or if we don’t ask for forgiveness, will God forgive us?
Think about those things, look up some verses that might help, and we will discuss them in two weeks.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Be Alert and Manage Your Time
Wake up! Pay attention! Know your surroundings! Always be prepared. Sounds like we are in a battle zone or something, doesn’t it? Last week we talked about the need to be self-controlled and alert. This week we explored a few more Scriptures on that topic. Too many people wander through life half-asleep – sleeping awake, if you will. The Christian life is the opposite…purposeful God-following in all areas, 24/7. If done correctly, this life will inspire onlookers to question what it is that drives us. And when that happens, we need to be ready to give an answer that glorifies God and reveals His truth.
Numbing Agents – Sin and Distractions
One of the major ways we ruin our ability to be alert is by letting sin creep into our life. Anytime we are actively or passively pursuing sin then we are numbing ourselves to the things of God.
Sometimes our distractions don’t necessarily have to be sinful. Sometimes we simply waste our time doing things that are not meaningful and valuable. Try to identify some of those time wasters and stop doing them. Identify new blocks of time that you can put to good use, like maybe your drive time to and from work. Just like money, every minute you spend is a minute you can never get back. Spend them wisely!
Be Ready!
Be ready to explain your faith.
Be ready to fight off the enemy.
Be ready to live a thankful, joyful, prayerful life at all times.
There are a lot of Scriptures here, but they are packed with incredible stuff. Notice the extremes: Always be prepared! Always give thanks-for everything! Pray all the time! The closer we can get to that ideal, the more ready we will be to face the challenges of this life.
~~~~~~
Scripture 1 - From Last Week…1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Scripture 2 - 1 Peter 3:14-16
14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Scripture 3 - Ephesians 5:15-21
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Scripture 4 - Ephesians 6:10-18
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Scripture 5 - 1 Thessalonians 5:5-7
5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
Thought Questions
~ What does it look like to be ready ?/ What are some practical ways we can be ready?
~ How is sin the opposite of readiness?
~ Contemplate each piece of the armor. Which is the most important? Most difficult for you?
~ How do you make the most of every opportunity? Do you know what you would say if someone asked you about what makes you different?
~ What are your top 3 time-wasters?
~ What can you do to fit in more of what is truly meaningful and valuable
~ Manage your Time, Money, and Relationships – you don’t have anything else.
Numbing Agents – Sin and Distractions
One of the major ways we ruin our ability to be alert is by letting sin creep into our life. Anytime we are actively or passively pursuing sin then we are numbing ourselves to the things of God.
Sometimes our distractions don’t necessarily have to be sinful. Sometimes we simply waste our time doing things that are not meaningful and valuable. Try to identify some of those time wasters and stop doing them. Identify new blocks of time that you can put to good use, like maybe your drive time to and from work. Just like money, every minute you spend is a minute you can never get back. Spend them wisely!
Be Ready!
Be ready to explain your faith.
Be ready to fight off the enemy.
Be ready to live a thankful, joyful, prayerful life at all times.
There are a lot of Scriptures here, but they are packed with incredible stuff. Notice the extremes: Always be prepared! Always give thanks-for everything! Pray all the time! The closer we can get to that ideal, the more ready we will be to face the challenges of this life.
~~~~~~
Scripture 1 - From Last Week…1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Scripture 2 - 1 Peter 3:14-16
14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Scripture 3 - Ephesians 5:15-21
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Scripture 4 - Ephesians 6:10-18
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Scripture 5 - 1 Thessalonians 5:5-7
5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
Thought Questions
~ What does it look like to be ready ?/ What are some practical ways we can be ready?
~ How is sin the opposite of readiness?
~ Contemplate each piece of the armor. Which is the most important? Most difficult for you?
~ How do you make the most of every opportunity? Do you know what you would say if someone asked you about what makes you different?
~ What are your top 3 time-wasters?
~ What can you do to fit in more of what is truly meaningful and valuable
~ Manage your Time, Money, and Relationships – you don’t have anything else.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Leadership Characteristics 1
Humble Shepherds, Humble Sheep
From Genesis to Revelation, humility (the opposite of pride) is a key characteristic of a true follower of Christ. Both those who are leading and those who are following should walk with humility towards each other. As we learn to submit to the people in authority, that trains us how to submit to God’s authority. And we know that when we submit to God’s authority and trust Him we can lay our anxiety on Him, because He cares deeply about us.
Perhaps the stubborn, individualistic, independent streak that we Americans hold so tightly does us a disservice in our relationship to God. Perhaps we should be more trusting of spiritual authority and more willing to be wronged rather than to always protect our own rights.
Relentless Predator
And just as sheep have a shepherd that cares about them, they also have predators that want to destroy them. Peter encourages his readers to be self-controlled and alert so that they can resist the Predator. We arm ourselves with pepper spray, lock our cars, and avoid walking alone through dark alleys. In the same way, we need to be vigilant for our spiritual safety. As we live in the Spirit, read the Bible, pray, and take every thought captive we are well on our way to becoming strong, firm, and steady!
Scripture:1 Peter 5:1-10
1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Thought Questions:
~ What are characteristics of a shepherd? Do you act like a shepherd to anyone?
~ What does true humility look like?
~ Why is it important for the young men to be submissive to the older men?
~ Do you live each moment of each day as if you have an enemy trying to take you out?
~ What does true humility look like?
~ Why is it hard to give up all our anxieties?
~ Do you truly believe that God cares for you?
Bonus Scriptures:
Hebrews 11:6
Matthew 6:30
2 Corinthians 10:5
From Genesis to Revelation, humility (the opposite of pride) is a key characteristic of a true follower of Christ. Both those who are leading and those who are following should walk with humility towards each other. As we learn to submit to the people in authority, that trains us how to submit to God’s authority. And we know that when we submit to God’s authority and trust Him we can lay our anxiety on Him, because He cares deeply about us.
Perhaps the stubborn, individualistic, independent streak that we Americans hold so tightly does us a disservice in our relationship to God. Perhaps we should be more trusting of spiritual authority and more willing to be wronged rather than to always protect our own rights.
Relentless Predator
And just as sheep have a shepherd that cares about them, they also have predators that want to destroy them. Peter encourages his readers to be self-controlled and alert so that they can resist the Predator. We arm ourselves with pepper spray, lock our cars, and avoid walking alone through dark alleys. In the same way, we need to be vigilant for our spiritual safety. As we live in the Spirit, read the Bible, pray, and take every thought captive we are well on our way to becoming strong, firm, and steady!
Scripture:1 Peter 5:1-10
1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Thought Questions:
~ What are characteristics of a shepherd? Do you act like a shepherd to anyone?
~ What does true humility look like?
~ Why is it important for the young men to be submissive to the older men?
~ Do you live each moment of each day as if you have an enemy trying to take you out?
~ What does true humility look like?
~ Why is it hard to give up all our anxieties?
~ Do you truly believe that God cares for you?
Bonus Scriptures:
Hebrews 11:6
Matthew 6:30
2 Corinthians 10:5
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