Bible Study for 6/14

This weeks passage is Psalm 23.  As you read this passage answer these question and be prepared to discuss them with each other.  Remember you are the leader, speak out and learn from each other.

1.  What is the author’s main point in this passage?

• What is the author trying to say to you . . .what message is he relaying. (go beyond the actual words)

2.  What new light do I find in this particular reading of this passage of the text?

• Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.  Talk about what you feel the Holy Spirit is telling you.

3.  Is this passage true to my experience?

• What is the truth behind this passage?

4.  What are the implications of this passage for my life?

• Does this passage make any difference in my life?  Is it calling me to make a change?

5.  What problems do I have with this passage?

• Which parts do you not understand, or want to look at more in depth?

Passion by Chelsea Cofield

Passion– Any powerful or compelling emotion of feeling, as love or hate ; or suffering or enduring of imposed or inflicted pain; to suffer.

                The word “passion” is often associated with the Crucifixion of Christ.  ”The name ‘passionflower’ — flos passionis — arose from the supposed resemblance of the corona to the crown of thorns, and of the other parts of the flower to the nails, or wounds, while the five sepals and five petals were taken to symbolize the ten apostles — Peter … and Judas … being left out of the reckoning.” ["Encyclopedia Brittanica," 1885]

                “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”—Philippians 3:10

                To want to know Christ calls for a sharing in his sufferings, or the sharing in his passions. Jesus Christ was the most passionate human being ever to walk the earth. Just think about being so passionate about a cause that you subject yourself to being beaten, spit upon, hung on a cross. As the song says, “He could have called ten thousand angels, to destroy the world and set him free, but he died alone for you and me.”  We don’t have to be crucified; we just have to love God and others enough to sacrifice for them. By sacrifice I don’t mean throw money at a problem.  That seems to be a universal solution to everything these days. We need to get passionate enough so that we are willing to “be the change that we want to see in the world.” Only a Spirit-led revolution from within each of us will create the massive transformation for good which is needed in this world.

                Today we say we love Jesus, we say we want to change things, but how passionate are we willing to get? Just as deeds without faith are nothing, talk without deeds is nothing. When are we as a generation going to get passionate?

A Word From Scott Venable

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@ His Footstool

In Psalm 99:5 we get the command to “Exalt the Lord our God; worship at His footstool! Holy is He!”

Notice the excitement carried on this verse…. I read it and just start smiling. I love how the writer says “our” God. This reminds us that God calls everyone to be saved (Romans 10:13). We also get a picture of His majesty when we are told to “worship at his footstool”. This implies that we are to approach the throne of God and worship at the footstool of it. Then to wrap it all up we are reminded that he is Holy. This verse sums up the attitude we should have in our worship. So if you feel lost in worship just remember Psalm 99:5.

Greater Is He

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

This verse has always been on that I could fall back on… it just always seemed to comfort me.  One thing I noticed today while I was reading it is the context surrounding this verse.  John is talking about testing things of this world to see if they are from God.  Read what he says in verses 2-3

“2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”

We need to go back to this test for everything that we are involved in.  It’s so simple to tell wether or not something is from God.  Does whatever your involved in leading to the fact that Jesus was from God?  If not then you need to stop and commit to something that does.  You might say that you are not strong enough to change but that’s when you need to claim the promise in verse 4 “He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world.”  So allow God to help you then you will be able to stand up against this world.

 

 

 

Blessed Is The Man

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;” Psalm 1:1

Yesterday I sent out Psalm 150:6 because I love how it sums up Psalm.  But today i want us to focus on how it starts.  Do you see the magnitude of this verse.  ”Blessed is the man who walks NOT in the counsel of the wicked.” I want you to notice the word “man” in this verse… now it my not seem different but the Hebrew word used here is showing us that this man is a representative example of a godly man.  

So how do you become that representative example?  You simply apply this verse to your life.  You choose to not walk in the counsel of the wicked, to not stand in the way of sinners, to not sit with the scoffers.

Return To Him

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, ”return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Joel 2:12

The language in this verse always gets me.  We are called to return to the Lord with all our heart.  We need to quit responding half-heartedly and trust God with our entire life.  We also need to find ways to make ourselves rely on God … in comes the fasting.  The whole purpose of a fast to to rely on God for strength.  So if you never take this step you never learn to rely on Him.

40 Days Of Water

Our group started the “40 Days Of Water”  campaign by Blood Water mission.  I sent the text out asking who wanted to do it and about 20 students have responded almost immediately.  Our group already is saving to give to BloodWater mission, but this will just give us another way to focus on our efforts.  Please be praying for our students who have chosen to make water their only beverage for the next 40 days.   This is supposed to start on March 1st but we moved it up to be finished on the Saturday of our D-NOW.

If you want to learn more about this campaign go here

Built Up In Him

Colossians 2:6 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”

I love the picture this verse paints… It shows us that we need to not only receive Jesus Christ as our savior, but also that we need to live our lives in Him.  I also want you to look at some other verses in this passage.  Start in verse 4.  Paul tells us this so that we will not allow people to delude (to mislead the mind) us with their talk.  We need to have a strong faith and be disciplined in the process that leads to a strong relationship with Him.  Verse 5 reinforces this when Paul tell us that he is “rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ”. 

Now comes the walking with Him… How do you do this?  You read and hold onto the promise of verse 7.  “Now being built up in Him”…We are able to walk in Him because we are being built up in Him.  So “overflowing with gratitude” (v7)  continue to work on that relationship with Jesus Christ so that it may become  strong and stable.

Look It Shines When Light Hits It

Here is a look at the D-Now shirts when the flash from a camera hits the D-Now shirts.  Pretty cool eh.  Let me know what you think.  If you want to see what it looks like normally check it out here.  Let me know what you think.