The Pastor’s Blog
Home Study for March 4 through 9, 2013
Monday – Read John 3:16-21
What jumps out at you in this passage?
Why do some people love darkness (sin) more than Light (Jesus)?
What can you do to better shine the light of Jesus for others to see?
Ask Jesus to shine more brightly through you.
Tuesday – Read romans 10:9-11
Why are belief and confession important for salvation?
Can one truly change a life without the other?
How does this passage challenge you? How will you respond?
Wednesday – Read Galatians 5:1-8
Here Paul is writing to Gentile believers who did not first convert to Judaism and the requirements of
the law.
How does trying to be justified by the law cause one to fall away from grace?
How are we to live for Jesus?
How does this passage challenge you? How will you respond?
Thursday – Read Colossians 2:13-17
As a shadow of things that were to come, to whom did the Old Testament law point? Why is this important?
Do you want to live in the shadow or in the reality?
How are we made alive with Jesus?
How did Jesus “cancel the written code?”
How then should we respond?
Friday – Read John 8:31-36
How does faith in Jesus and holding to His teaching set us free?
Free from what?
What does this mean to you?
Are you living in the freedom that is yours through faith in Jesus?
Saturday – Read John 4:43-54
Read more...
Home Study for February 25 through March 2, 2013
Monday – Read Isaiah 55:1-9
Why are God’s ways and thoughts different from ours?
What difference does it make in our lives to know the God knows us and He knows the future?
If our thoughts and ways are in conflict with God’s thoughts and ways what should we do?
Tuesday – Read Proverbs 3:5-8
Why should we trust God rather than our own understanding?
What happens when we trust our understanding without consulting God? Has that ever happened to you?
What does God promise if we see and trust Him?
Is there anything in your life that you need to trust to God today?
Wednesday – Read Hebrews 11:1-10
How is faith different from hope?
Using these verses, write your own definition of faith.
How can faith in Jesus and in God’s plan for our lives transform the way we live?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Thursday – Read I Corinthians 3:10-15
What is the only foundation on which we can confidently build our lives?
In what way are our lives and work revealed for what they are?
How would you measure what you are building in your life?
How would God measure it?
How does this challenge you? How will you respond?
Friday – Read Luke 18:18-30
Why was it so hard for the rich young man to follow Jesus?
What else can get in the way of following Him?
What has Jesus promised to everyone who radically follows Him?
What is Jesus saying to you? How will you respond?
Saturday – Read John 3:1-21
Read more...
Home Study for February 18 through 23, 2013
Monday – Read Romans 12:1-8
What is significant about being a living sacrifice?
How do we live our lives as a sacrifice to the Lord?
How can we know God’s will for our lives?
What are we called to do in verses 3-8?
How are you doing?
Tuesday – Read Romans 12:9-16
What in these verses is the biggest challenge to you?
By whose power can we live this way?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Wednesday – Read Romans 12:17-21
How should we respond to those who have hurt us?
By whose power are we able to do that?
What comfort does verse 18 give you?
If put into practice, how could these verses transform our lives, family, community or the world?
Thursday – Read Romans 13:1-7
How do these verses apply to how we respond to the governing authorities in our lives, community and nation?
What are some ways we can express our concerns with the people over us but still lives up to the call in these verses?
How is God challenging you? How will you respond?
Friday – Read Romans 13:8-14
Why are we as Christians to live in love and show love to all people?
This is simple to understand yet hard to do in our own power and love, so how can we do it?
Why does God call us to live in way that we can’t do on our own?
How are we to live in light of the times we live in? Why?
How might such a lifestyle help people to see Jesus?
Saturday – Read Nehemiah 12:27-47
Read more...
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13
Faith, hope and love are three of the key words in all of scripture, which is not too surprising when we consider the roles of faith, hope and love in our lives and relationship with Jesus.
Faith is believing in what we have not seen. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Hope is looking forward to something with confident expectation. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
The Greek word for love here is agape, God’s love, an unselfish love; a love that isn’t based on our worthiness to be loved but on God’s desire to love us. In Romans 5:8 we read, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Faith, hope and love are all key elements in our relationship with God, each is of major importance in its own right, and while everything else that seems so permanent in the world is gone, only those three things will remain. And yet, I Corinthians 13:13 tells us that the greatest is love.
The greatest is love because, as I John 4:16 tells us, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” Faith and hope are based on God while God is love, which truly makes love the greatest.
As we seek to grow in faith and hope, may we continually seek to know God better and be filled with more of His love, so we are able to reveal God to the people whose lives we touch.
God’s Grace and Peace,
Mark
Read more...