The Pastor’s Blog
A couple of weeks ago Patsy and I had the opportunity to watch Brett and Curtis Garrett in the Randall Theater production of “Fractured Fairy Tales.” It was great fun to see how the authors had taken the seed of well-known fairy tales, in this case “Cinderella” and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” and then ran with them in a totally different direction. The trial of Goldilocks was definitely unlike any courtroom I have ever been in.
In Matthew 4 we read about Satan’s attempt to get Jesus to sin after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. In that attempt we see that Satan fractured or misapplied three Old Testament passages or themes. As Satan used these themes, each had a grain of truth, but then he twisted them to suit his own plan and purpose.
I would like to say that fracturing and twisting God’s word doesn’t happen very much, but the truth is it is done all too often, misapplying or taking God’s word out of context to promote a position that scripture doesn’t support. And the problem is that those who do the twisting can make it sound so good that those who do not really know or understand God’s word can be deceived.
That’s why, as Paul addressed false teachings in the church in II Timothy 2:15, he charged Timothy to, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
In John 8:31 and 32 we read, “To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teachings, you are my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
Correctly handling God’s word of truth takes time, it takes study, and it takes seeking God’s understanding and leading through prayer until we receive it. However, it is all worth it when we experience the power and the freedom, freedom within the boundaries God has set and freedom from others twisting his word, which comes from knowing and understanding God’s truth.
Seeking to Know and Live God’s Truth,
Mark
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Home Study for August 27 through September 1, 2012
Monday – Read I John 4:7-21
God is love. How should this impact how we should live?
Why is there no fear in love?
How can we show our love to God?
How does this passage challenge you? How will you respond?
Tuesday – Read I Corinthians 1:23-31
Why is God’s wisdom so much greater than human wisdom?
Why does God choose to work through us?
How should we respond?
Wednesday – Read I Corinthians 13:1-13
From these verses how would you describe the importance of love?
As you read the acts of love, is this something we can do on our own?
Why not?
What do we need to love like this?
How is God challenging you? How will you respond?
Thursday – Read Romans 12:17-21
What are some practical ways to live in love listed here?
What if people don’t accept our love, how should we respond?
How can good overcome evil?
How does this passage challenge you? What will you do?
Friday – Read Ephesians 3:14-21
How great is God’s love?
How great is God’s love for you?
What can you do to experience more of God’s love?
What can you do to show more of God’s love?
Saturday – Read Ephesians 5:19-21
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Home Study for August 20 through 25, 2012
Monday – Read Matthew 4:1-11
How did Jesus know when and where He was supposed to go?
In His humanness, if it had been up to Him, do you think Jesus might have wanted to skip this episode in His life?
How did Jesus defeat Satan’s temptations?
What does this teach us about living under the leading of the Holy Spirit and in the power of His word?
Tuesday – Read I Corinthians 2:6-12
From whom is God’s wisdom hidden? Why?
To whom is God’s wisdom revealed? By whom?
What does it mean that we have the mind of Christ?
What does that mean for us?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Wednesday – Read Psalm 119:97-104
What does God’s word give us?
What must we do to receive all of those benefits?
Why did the psalmist compare God’s word to honey?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Thursday – Read II Corinthians 2:12-17
How does Paul describe the outcome of God’s leading in verse 14?
To what does he compare the ways that God works in our lives?
How can any of us be equal to the works that God has for us?
What does God want to accomplish through our lives?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Friday – Read John 2:1-11
Why was God’s timing so important to Jesus?
What happens when we step out of God’s timing, either running ahead or lagging behind?
How can we know and stay in step with God’s timing?
What is God saying to you? What will you do?
Saturday – Read Ephesians 5:15-18
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Passion
This week I went to Surfside camp at Twin Rocks and the big thing we looked at overall that week was passions and how passions can help us get closer to God, and how some passions may distance us from God. For example, let's say you have a passion for music and you play on your church's worship team, or you play a sport and you use that sport to get closer to God through prayer. Those are good passions that help us get closer to God! But let's say you have a passion for drugs, or a passion for facebook and twitter and you can't go one second without it… and you are constantly doing these things sooo much that you kind of put God on the back burner and your passion has nothing to do with God. That is an example of a bad passion. Now I am not saying that those are the only passions out there in the world… there are soo many other things to be passionant about! But for a moment, think about your passion or something that consumes a lot of your day….now think…. is this passion helping me grow closer to God, or is this passion standing inbetween God and me? If your passion is helping you stay close to God… then great! Keep it up! But some of us have a passion that is distancing us from God, and that isn't what God wants from us. Maybe your passion isn't nessicarily bad, but it is not helping you grow closer to God… if that is the case, maybe the problem is that your just spending too much time with that passion. Like me! Before i went to camp, I was constantly thinking about this new band I found out about and every waking moment i was listening to their music and watching videos of this band on youtube and I just couldn't get enough of this band. Now is that a bad passion? Not really.. I was just spending too much time thinking about this band when i could've been thinking about God and praying to him or reading my bible. Maybe your passion is bad… maybe your passion is drugs, alcohal, porn, something that could harm you or you know is not right, but you still do it anyway…. Those passions are very hard to overcome… and i am not gonna sit here and tell you how to overcome this, because i am no expert on how to overcome those types of things. But what i will say is that God loves you very much and has soo much more things instore for you than what you are involved with right now. Anyway, this week at camp may not have helped me grow spiritually, but it has helped me get back on track with God, and now I feel more passionant for God than I have for a while. I hope your having a great summer!!! =D
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