South Valley Community Church: Recent Episodes
Gospel Centered Mission Focused
South Valley Community Church is one church in many locations. Each week, hundreds of people at South Valley meet in small communities to learn about God, pray, eat, laugh and live. Church is more than a service, it’s people living life together and helping one another.
Our values are simple: We are Gospel Centered and Mission Focused. Our purpose as a church is to simply "Love God and Love People". We get that purpose from the words of Jesus in Matthew 22 where Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” We realize that Jesus has made it simple for us. However, putting simple words into action can be easier said than done. It takes a nurturing community to support those who are striving to follow Christ's words in this world. This is why South Valley Community Church exists: To proclaim the gospel and make disciples.
Our prayer is you'll find SVCC a place where you and your family can grow and connect. No matter where you are in life, we are passionately committed to providing an environment to build relationships, and to challenge and inspire you in discovering your true potential in God’s kingdom.
Sermons will be posted every Tuesday.
Let Earth Receive Her King: Christmas Eve - December 24th 2024 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Let Earth Receive Her King: Week 4 - December 22nd 2024 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Let Earth Receive Her King: Week 3 - December 15th 2024 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Let Earth Receive Her King: Week 2 - December 8th 2024 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Let Earth Receive Her King: Week 1 - December 1st 2024 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Analog Church Part 4: Seeking the Abundant Life in the Digital Age by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Analog Church Part 2: Seeking the Abundant Life in the Digital Age by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Analog Church Part 1: Seeking the Abundant Life in the Digital Age by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Matthew Part 5: Prepared for Judgement - March 5th 2023 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Reliability of Scripture - Chris Nye - Reasons To Believe 2022 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Five Ways Beauty Points to God - Reasons To Believe - August 7, 2022 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Reasons To Believe - Frank Turek - August 29th, 2021 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Reasons to Believe — Michael Heiser — God as Man — Aug 1st, 2021 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Pastor Isaac addresses the current pandemic and offers both a challenge and encouragement to the Church.
Ephesians 6:10-24: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.Peace be to the brothers,and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
Ephesians 5:22 - 6:9:
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Ephesians 5:1-21
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 4:17-32: Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:1-16: Therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 3:1-21: For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is[a] that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 2:11-22:
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:1-10: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 1:15-23:
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1:1-14:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" - John 14:6
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'” John 11:25-26
"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." - John 10:10B-11
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12
"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." — John 6:35
Jonah's Anger and the Lord's Compassion 4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
Jonah Goes to Nineveh 3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
The People of Nineveh Repent 6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Jonah's Prayer 2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,
“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ 5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Jonah Flees the Presence of the Lord 1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea 7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah 17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Whoever you are, all humans bear the image of God. Because of that you have a job to reflect and execute the will of God who is in heaven.
A Skeptic’s Guide to Ancient Sources Outside the Bible
Mikel Del Rosario helps Christians explain their faith with courage and compassion. He is a doctoral student in the New Testament department at Dallas Theological Seminary. Mikel teaches Christian Apologetics and World Religion at William Jessup University. He is the author of Accessible Apologetics and has published over 20 journal articles on apologetics and cultural engagement with his mentor, Dr. Darrell Bock. Mikel holds an M.A. in Christian Apologetics with highest honors from Biola University and a Master of Theology (Th.M) from Dallas Theological Seminary where he serves as Cultural Engagement Manager at the Hendricks Center and a host of the Table Podcast.
Reasons to Believe — Dan Kimball — How to Not Read the Bible — Aug 18, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
New Testament scholar, prolific author, and popular teacher/speaker, Craig A. Evans is well-known for his contribution to work on the Gospels, the Historical Jesus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and archaeology of the New Testament. He regularly appears in documentaries, TV, and radio interviews. He lectures extensively and participates in archaeological digs and Holy Land tours.
For decades, his engaging style in live events, teaching, media, and the written word has brought the Bible to life for countless students, popular audiences, and seekers.
The reality of human suffering poses one of the most difficult challenges to Christianity. If God is absolutely powerful and ultimately good, evil would be banished. Instead, He appears too frail to oppose it or too sinister to care, and no one can believe in a God like that.What is evil and where did it come from? Why does God allow it and what is He doing about it? Greg answers these questions and shows that only the Christian world view is capable of offering a satisfying answer to the problem of evil. You’ll also learn why the presence of evil in the world is one of the best proofs for the existence of God, not against Him.
For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel. — Deuteronomy 32:52
So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” — Exodus 32:31-32
The Ten Words — Moses — Sam Whittaker — Jul 14, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” — Exodus 16:12
But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” — Exodus 6:6
Against the gods — Moses — Isaac Serrano — Jun 16, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Living in the Light of Eternity • The End of Things by Sam Whittaker - May 26, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Hell • The End of Things by Isaac Serrano - May 19, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Heaven • The End of Things by Isaac Serrano - May 12, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Intro to The End of Things by Isaac Serrano - April 28, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Shepherd the Flock of God 5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings 12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Suffering as a Christian 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
Sojourners and Exiles: 1 Peter 3:18–4:6 by Isaac Serrano - Mar 31, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Sojourners and Exiles: 1 Peter 3:8–17 by Sam Whittaker - Mar 24, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
3 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
“Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” This famous quote comes from a 14th century poem by Dante Alighieri called Inferno. He wasn’t speaking of this world, but he could have. Where is hope found? Peter reminds the “elect exiles” that their hope should be set fully on Jesus. Our plans may fail, our retirement vanish, our loved ones leave, our homes come to ruin, our bodies weaken and waste, and nothing in this world can guarantee immunity or preservation from any of it. We need help and assurance that “all is well” when life is at its hardest. But our eyes are lifted because our lives have been given new birth into a living hope. God’s “word” is the source of this hope. Because His gospel promises never fail. It is the believers’ food, growing and changing us. Peter not only wants us to long for it, but to be motivated by it in every circumstance.
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.The grass withers, and the flower falls,25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
Practicing the Way: FASTING by Isaac Serrano, Feb 3, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Practicing the Way: READ SCRIPTURE by Sam Whittaker, Jan 27, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Practicing the Way: HOSPITALITY by Matt Kirkland, Jan 20, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Practicing the Way: FORGIVENESS by Isaac Serrano, Jan 13, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Practicing the Way: HOLINESS by Isaac Serrano, Jan 6, 2019 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Sermon by Isaac Serrano by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Come Stand and Be Amazed Come and stand amazed, you people, See how God is reconciled! See his plans of love accomplished, See his gift, this newborn child.
See the Mighty, weak and tender, See the Word who now is mute. See the Sovereign without splendor, See the Fullness destitute.
See how humankind received him; See him wrapped in swaddling bands, Who as Lord of all creation Rules the wind by his commands.
See him lying in a manger Without sign of reasoning; Word of God to flesh surrendered, He is wisdom’s crown, our King.
O Lord Jesus, God incarnate, Who assumed this humble form, Counsel me and let my wishes To your perfect will conform.
Light of life, dispel my darkness, Let your frailty strengthen me; Let your meekness give me boldness, Let your burden set me free.
Oh, Emmanuel, my Savior, Let Your death be life for me!
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? -James 3:13- 4:12
James 3:1-12(ESV):
Taming the Tongue 3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
James 4:13-5:20 (ESV):
Boasting About Tomorrow 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Warning to the Rich 5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Patience in Suffering 7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
The Prayer of Faith 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
James 2:1-13 ESV:
2 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 1:19-27 ESV:
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:1-18 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
Purposeful: What is meaning? by Isaac Serrano Sep 9, 2018 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Exposing Contradictions from Atheists by Frank Turek by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Does belief in God make sense of the world? Or does reality itself point to God’s absence? Is God real or is he a product of human minds? On Friday, August 24, Michael Shermer and Frank Turek debated "What better explains reality: Atheism or Theism?"
Bobby Conway is the founder and host of the rapidly-growing ministry, The One-Minute Apologist, which is found on YouTube and on his website. He provides quick, credible answers to apologetic questions that offers resources to people with a hunger to defend their Christian faith. At the OneMinuteApologist.com, he posts a new apologetic answer video five days per week. Bobby has had the privilege of interviewing some of the worlds leading Christian apologists. Among them are: William Lane Craig, Josh McDowell, Hank Hanegraaf, JP Moreland, Norman Geisler, Frank Turek, and many more. He also serves as the lead pastor at Life Fellowship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus by Michael Brown by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
J. P. Moreland is one of the leading evangelical thinkers of our day. He is a distinguished professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and director of Eidos Christian Center. With degrees in philosophy, theology, and chemistry, Dr. Moreland has taught theology and philosophy at several schools throughout the U.S. He has authored or coauthored many books, including Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview; Christianity and the Nature of Science; Scaling the Secular City; Does God Exist?; The Lost Virtue of Happiness; and Body and Soul. He is coeditor of Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus.
When we boil down humanity to humanity, sometimes it is difficult to see huge differences between David and Saul, or David and Absalom, maybe even David and Goliath. But the fact remains that the Bible speaks of David as the one after God’s heart. It is his name that is used when looking to the day when God would put all things right. With all the success and failure, unification and strife, life and death in David’s story it can be hard to reconcile. Maybe this thin line exists to help us realize how we too are a hair’s breadth away from being “one after God’s own heart.” What is the difference that remains and how do we seek after it? A humble repentant heart toward the real King, our King Jesus, is all that remains—in fact, if we look closely, we realize that the person at the heart of these poems and at the heart of 1 and 2 Samuel is God Himself
God established a covenant with King David to extend a permanent place on the throne to him and his descendants because he was a man after God’s heart (2 Samuel 7:5- 16). We find the kings that follow fail to live up to the ideals of the covenant God made with David. We see a glimmer of this failure during the end of the reign of Solomon. The phrase from the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, aptly describes the rule of Solomon: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, . . .” It was under Solomon’s rule that Israel was at its peak in political influence, prosperity, and affluence. But his greatness betrayed him for Solomon was also the last of the kings to rule over a united kingdom. There was disobedience and rebellion under the cover of the best of times. In this session we examine both the glory and tragedy of Solomon.
Family dysfunction is millennia old, and King David had no shortage of it. The snowball effect of his indiscretion with Bathsheba and murderous judgment on Uriah have led not just to a dark place, but a dangerous one. A powerful and enraged son may be his undoing. The horror of the scene with Amnon and Tamar seems a prelude to further mayhem and strife. Absalom is incensed and his father is to blame. While the details are likely different than the story of David and Absalom, family strife can dominate our lives at times.
The passage from this week sounds more like a scene from one of Shakespeare’s tragedies than something you would find in the Bible. David’s reign as king has become haunted by the judgment he brought upon his household in his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. Not only has it cost him the life of their first child as told in 2 Samuel 12, but here in chapter 13 we read of ongoing tragedy. His first son Amnon has become obsessed with his halfsister Tamar, and the scriptures tell us that he was so tormented that he made himself ill which lead to a horrifying assault. Raped and forsaken by Amnon, Tamar is reduced to a desolate woman living in shame with her brother Absalom. Sin, loss, grief, deception, and discord. It brings to mind the passage in Galatians 6:7 that says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” Our sin is NEVER just about us and, once unleashed, we have no control over its ripple effects.
The passage from this week sounds more like a scene from one of Shakespeare’s tragedies than something you would find in the Bible. David’s reign as king has become haunted by the judgment he brought upon his household in his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. Not only has it cost him the life of their first child as told in 2 Samuel 12, but here in chapter 13 we read of ongoing tragedy. His first son Amnon has become obsessed with his halfsister Tamar, and the scriptures tell us that he was so tormented that he made himself ill which lead to a horrifying assault. Raped and forsaken by Amnon, Tamar is reduced to a desolate woman living in shame with her brother Absalom. Sin, loss, grief, deception, and discord. It brings to mind the passage in Galatians 6:7 that says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” Our sin is NEVER just about us and, once unleashed, we have no control over its ripple effects.
The headlines in Israel day after day had proclaimed their new spectacular king David whose heart for God is as God’s own heart. He’s been seen dancing like a fool in the streets bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem, God’s favor returning to Israel. One by one, enemies are falling at Israel’s feet under David’s lead. To say that times are good would be a great understatement, and surely no one is more excited and passionate for the Lord than King David. Then suddenly, the book of 2 Samuel delivers a story painfully inconsistent with the way things have been going. Their highly esteemed leader is falling fast in a shameful scandal that’s unfolding quickly, dangerously, and painfully. The same brilliant king of Israel now makes the reader cringe with every turn of the story and his shameful attempts to cover up his actions. God delivers a verdict over the situation and brings David to a state of repentance, but we’re left saddened with little esteem for this king who once radiated greatness.
David was anointed king of Israel while Saul was still alive and Saul became jealous of David since the Lord was with David. Saul’s jealousy was so intense that he tried to kill David using the royal spear (see 1 Samuel 19:9-10). After that day, David was forced to live as a fugitive of the country God had called him to rule. In the following years, Saul hunted down David and his men whenever he had the chance. 1 Samuel 26 tells the story of the last time Saul and David interacted before Saul’s death at the hands of the Philistines. This story shows how God was able to deliver David from a hopeless situation and is an example of how we should respond to those who seek to hurt us. God shows Himself faithful even in these times of difficulty, but in an interesting way, His faithfulness is more visible when our faithfulness comes in response.
Saul has made mistakes. He tends to come up with excuses and blame-shifts rather than owning up to his missteps. Now, God has rejected him which puts Samuel, who anointed Saul king, in a challenging situation—anoint another king. While Saul was the strapping, tall, dark, and handsome one, we are introduced to a new scene where Samuel is tempted to look for Saul-like outward strength and stature. A parade of candidates from the family of Jesse are showcased, and if it were Samuel’s choice, it is clear there would have been multiple winners. God had other plans. This job would require the faithful one in the pastures, the one who gets overlooked. Like Saul, David is handsome, but young and clearly not what his family would consider a “leader” since he wasn’t even invited to Samuel’s party.
The story of God forming the nation of Israel in the Old Testament tells of the special relationship between God and his people; a theocracy. God Himself was Israel’s King who guided His people using leaders He had called and directed. Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt. Joshua was called to lead the military campaigns to possess the land of Canaan. After the Canaanites were militarily defeated, all that was left was the cleanup action. The land was divided among the twelve tribes and they were told to finish the job. The book of Joshua concludes with a renewal of the covenant with God and acknowledgment that God has fulfilled His promise. As the generation of Joshua passes away, the book of Judges records the unfaithfulness that emerges over the next 350 years as the Israelites take on the unacceptable religious practices of those they neglected to remove from the land. As a result, the Israelites come under the political influence and oppression of those around them, spiraling downward in a cyclone of failure. This is the Israel that demands a king and the story into which David is born.
Acts 17:16-34 ESV:
Paul in Athens 16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
Paul Addresses the Areopagus 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Mark 10:17-27 ESV:
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it isto enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Mark 5:1-20 ESV 5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
John 4:1-38 4 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.[a]
7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.[b] The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Go Therefore: The Helpless • Isaac Serrano • April 15, 2018 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Go Therefore: The Prideful • Isaac Serrano • April 8, 2018 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
As a final encouragement, Paul and his companions make a rapid-fire exhortation to the Thessalonian church aimed at how they relate to their church leadership, church community, the non-believing world, and God himself. It may seem disjointed or haphazard, but look carefully how the content relates to the previous sections of the letter.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:12–28 12We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16Rejoice always, 1 pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil. 23Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 25Brothers, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13–5:11 13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Clearly some of Paul’s initial teaching was either misunderstood or he simply did not have time to explain. There was confusion or uncertainty of what happens at the end of time including concern about what happens to those that die before Jesus comes back. We can imagine within a hostile environment, some may have been killed for their belief in “another king” (Acts 17:7) between the time of the apostle’s visit and Timothy’s return to Thessalonica, and some may have fallen into despair. Paul’s clarification of the hope we have in Jesus’ resurrection would serve as a catalyst for encouragement and his confirming the unpredictability of the end times would provide reason to hold fast to their faith while under the day-to-day pressure of living in a thoroughly Roman and pagan culture.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:1–12 1 FINALLY, THEN, BROTHERS, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
P AUL’S REINFORCEMENT and clarification of previous teaching begins here, but switch your perspective to Timothy for a moment. He is the one who was sent to check on the Thessalonians. Consider his long travel— walking, hitching a ride on a spare donkey or cart when possible. Walking is so commonplace, so pedestrian. Have you ever noticed when you walk, especially alone, you think a lot? Paul can imagine Timothy traveling, thinking, and making right choices as he traversed the 250 miles that led him back to Thessalonica, because he had taught his spiritual son the moment-by-moment practice of putting one foot in front of another in honor of his Lord and King. Paul repeatedly uses the idea of “walking” as a metaphor for living out the Christian life. He had taught the Thessalonians “how [they] ought to walk and to please God.”
1 THESSALONIANS 3:1-13: 1 THEREFORE WHEN WE could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 11Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
AT THE PEAK OF CONCERN, Paul knows something must be done. For the one who would pen the words “do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6a), Paul certainly seems deeply anxious for his brothers and sisters at Thessalonica. When he cannot go personally he has others that can, so he sends Timothy, a trusted disciple who has learned what it means to “imitate” Paul. Here we see that Paul seeks comfort in the midst of affliction by discovering that the people he has shepherded remain faithful. Ultimately, their spiritual safety is of highest importance; not that it is unimportant, but there is no mention of their physical safety, only a recognition that they share in similar sufferings.
1 THESSALONIANS 2:13–20: 13AND WE ALSO THANK GOD constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! 17But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20For you are our glory and joy.
THE THANKSGIVING that started in verse 2 hasn’t finished yet. The word of God was at work within the church at Thessalonica and Paul felt that they shared the gospel bond, but he and his companions were concerned for them in their absence. Like parents sending their firstborn off to school for the first time, Paul felt the sting of the possible outcomes. Would they be bullied? Would they remember what he taught them? Unlike kindergarten, the culture in Thessalonica was pagan to the core and loved Rome. They had many gods to turn to and Caesar was lord. It was like sending your five-year-old on the first day of school directly into the principal’s office with a list of ways the school was not doing things right, and suggesting the principal should step down.
1 THESSALONIANS 2:1–12: 1 FOR YOU YOURSELVES KNOW, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11For you know how, like a father with his children, 12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
AFTER RECOUNTING the trials that had occurred as they passed through Macedonia on the way to Thessalonica, Paul speaks of their mission to preach the gospel to Thessalonica as if nothing could stop it. At the same time, a familial tone rings aloud in this passage. The boldness of proclamation was tempered with a mother’s gentleness, and their teaching was motivated and enhanced like a father’s caring words to children. Here lies a portrait of an apostle, a “sent one,” and by inference, the character of the Thessalonian church in Paul’s imagination.
1 THESSALONIANS 1:1–10L 1 PAUL, SILVANUS, AND TIMOTHY, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
DURING PAUL’S SECOND JOURNEY to proclaim King Jesus to the audiences in and around the Mediterranean, he and his companions met with resistance both from Jews and Gentiles. In 2 Corinthians 7:5 we hear Paul describing his travels through Macedonia (where Thessalonica was the prominent city), and he speaks of afflictions they encountered. By the time Paul reached Thessalonica, he had been run out of towns, imprisoned, and stoned. In fact, suffering affliction for the sake of the gospel is something that Paul points out as “common experience” between he and the church of the Thessalonians. To be more precise, he says that they were imitators of him and Jesus because they received the word in much affliction and were an example because of it.
10 Things to Think About When Raising Kids with Technology:
- Passwords
- Hard talks
- TV/Media
- Laptops/Tablets
- Conversations
- Dinner
- Music
- Space
- Rest
- Read together
Marriage • Sex • Gospel (W3): Marriage Q&A with Eric & Carol Smith 01/21/18 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Marriage • Sex • Gospel (W2): Biblical Vision of Sex • Isaac Serrano 01/14/18 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Marriage • Sex • Gospel (W1): Biblical Vision • Isaac Serrano 01/07/18 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
The Scroll of Isaiah closes with a stunning picture of a new heavens and a new earth, ruled by the one true King and filled with joy and peace. This picture of new creation is not unique to Isaiah; similar pictures are painted by other biblical prophets, and picked up by the authors of the New Testament as well. This picture of the end of suffering and sin is beautiful and provocative, evoking in the reader a sense of hope and longing for a reality that the present world cannot satisfy. But Christians are not called to a passive hope. What does Isaiah’s vision of the future mean for us now, in the present? What can the Church do, as God’s servant on earth, to offer a glimpse of this future to a world without hope?
Isaiah: Christmas Eve Service • Isaac Serrano 12.24.17 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
Isaiah begs the reader and hearer of his words to ask the question, “who is this servant?” If not Hezekiah, if not Israel, if unfound in Isaiah’s world, who can it be? Who is this holy seed, righteous branch, and Immanuel character? The New Testament authors scream “Jesus! Our King is the Suffering Servant!” The implications are immense, but when you live in a world where authority, power, and violence can be so intertwined, is the Suffering Servant a beautiful image or absolute stupidity and weakness? As Christians saturated in the military power struggles from the Cold War to North Korea, which has more weight—our arsenals or our attitudes toward our enemies?
We must return to the beginning, the first few pages of the Bible, to recognize that the treasonous seed of the serpent begets the day star. To end the evil, someone will have to end the serpent. But what about the seed of the serpent spread throughout the nations? Does killing the serpent mean killing its seed? Isaiah has revealed a serious tension in the story of God and His people. The evils of the day star ultimately find their beginning in a garden, where a dragon seeks to dismantle and dethrone. But Isaiah speaks of a “day of YHWH,” not only bringing judgment on the serpent, but also hope even for the serpent’s seed.
There is a fork in the road ahead. There is ALWAYS a fork in the road ahead which means we are constantly in a state of “decision.” But which “way” do we choose? Through the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah, we have seen Isaiah pointing to YHWH’s people choosing the wrong path, setting a pattern of making bad choices. The people of the promised land are devoid of “righteousness and justice” and because of it, they have been exiled, placed back in the wilderness like their forefathers. Even Israel’s kings have gone the wrong way. King Ahaz offers a faithless, pseudo-spiritual rejection to God’s request to ask for a sign in chapter 7. King Hezekiah (chapters 36-39) leans upon God to save Jerusalem from the Assyrians who had already ravaged the northern part of Israel. He faithfully calls out to God for physical healing. Unlike Ahaz, Hezekiah seems to resemble the messianic “Branch” of chapter 11, but within a few verses our hopes are dashed. In a faithless attempt to seek protection outside of YHWH, he reveals all the treasure and strength of Israel to Babylon, the nation that will be the next invader, sacking the city and destroying its temple. You can feel the irony. Israel was to be the light to the nations, but when God’s solution becomes part of the problem, someone must save humanity from itself.
There is a fork in the road ahead. There is ALWAYS a fork in the road ahead which means we are constantly in a state of “decision.” But which “way” do we choose? Through the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah, we have seen Isaiah pointing to YHWH’s people choosing the wrong path, setting a pattern of making bad choices. The people of the promised land are devoid of “righteousness and justice” and because of it, they have been exiled, placed back in the wilderness like their forefathers. Even Israel’s kings have gone the wrong way. King Ahaz offers a faithless, pseudo-spiritual rejection to God’s request to ask for a sign in chapter 7. King Hezekiah (chapters 36-39) leans upon God to save Jerusalem from the Assyrians who had already ravaged the northern part of Israel. He faithfully calls out to God for physical healing. Unlike Ahaz, Hezekiah seems to resemble the messianic “Branch” of chapter 11, but within a few verses our hopes are dashed. In a faithless attempt to seek protection outside of YHWH, he reveals all the treasure and strength of Israel to Babylon, the nation that will be the next invader, sacking the city and destroying its temple. You can feel the irony. Israel was to be the light to the nations, but when God’s solution becomes part of the problem, someone must save humanity from itself.
At this point, we see Isaiah describing the marriage between human rebellion and satanic influence giving birth to systematic evil—what the Bible consistently refers to as Babylon. In the sixth and seventh centuries, the nation conquering the known world was Babylon, so when an Israelite heard its name, it would bring painful images to mind: the place of their exile, the ruin of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the Temple where YHWH met His people. But over a century earlier, when Assyria was the world power that conquered Israel’s Northern Kingdom, cosmic “Babylon” already existed. When Nazi Germany sent out its forces to overtake Europe with its fascist ideology, “Babylon” was there. Today, “Babylon” is still at work. Whenever our broken humanity desires the same exalted position, or when groups come together with the goal to elevate themselves above the throne room of God, we will find communities, institutions, and even governments that look just like the Babylon of the Bible.
The majority of chapters 13 through 24 of Isaiah are grim oracles for the nations, where YHWH proclaims His dismay and judgment, ultimately, on all the lands. Individuals disobey. Rebels band together in groups, tribes, even nations. YHWH has clearly labeled His own people, Israel, as unfaithful and unrighteous. But as we read the Scroll, we are posed with another deep question—what is the essence that lurks beneath the evil of humanity? What gives humanity such a sinister unity and boldness in the face of its Creator? In Isaiah 14, we are introduced to the “day star,” where the King of Babylon is likened to the planet Venus wanting to elevate itself at the beginning of each day before the light of the Sun. But we know this imagery has a greater implication. There are spiritual forces that underlie all of humanity’s rebellion, and these forces influence our physical actions (or inactions) and Isaiah is dreadfully aware of this reality and its effect on all. This includes his own people.
A theme easy to find in Isaiah is judgment. It comes for the enemies of Israel and the neighbors of Israel, but it also comes for Israel itself. One of the images used to identify judgment is the use of YHWH’s “outstretched hand or arm” indicating his sovereign power not only to save, but judge. The King of the universe can be found in several parts of Isaiah as a presiding judge in a courtroom, presenting the facts of the case against His enemies, including Israel, His chosen people. We might imagine a courtroom with Perry Mason, Judge Judy, or our favorite version of Law & Order, but we should think more of a similar biblical scene. Imagine the wisdom of Solomon as he hears the arguments of two women who claim an infant as their own. No attorneys. No court reporter. Just a king on his throne interpreting the facts, identifying what is needed to produce his desired outcome, and rendering a decision— ”Cut the baby in half.” The sovereign, decisive power of a king delivering royal judgment compels immediate response, but Isaiah shows us that Israel as a nation is not easily moved.
It is here that the true king of Israel calls his servant to deliver a message to people who don’t want to hear it. Do you like being a messenger? Were you “that kid” in middle school that shuttled notes between your best friend and the person they had a crush on because your friend was a “chicken”? Imagine for a minute what Isaiah was asked to do. Go tell your people—your family— that they are a bunch of rebellious losers who are about to experience the beat down of the century, but you need to know something else. This horrifying message you are communicating, which should motivate change, will not only be rejected, but no matter how clear, obvious, and rational the message is, it will have the opposite effect. Do you feel the weight of this task? The burden of this message is unfathomable, and the obedience to deliver it astonishing.
The apostle Paul, along with the majority of New Testament authors, knew that the book of Isaiah was essential to understanding Jesus and His gospel. “Isaiah’s prediction” noted in Romans 9 above is from the beginning of the Scroll of Isaiah. In fact, Isaiah’s first chapter can be viewed like a summary of what is contained in all of its pages. It is important that we look for terms and imagery used throughout the book and trace them throughout the series.
Why does Isaiah matter to us? After all, we are Christians, so why would this ancient Jewish prophet’s voice have any impact on us? If you review concordances, commentaries, or other biblical reference works, you will find that the books of the New Testament make direct or indirect references to the words of Isaiah more than 400 times. Do the math. If a typical New Testament (without commentary and footnotes) is less than 400 pages, then on average, you would see at least one Isaiah reference for every New Testament page. But it’s not just “quantity” that matters. The content of the Scroll had “qualities” that the New Testament authors and theologians found indelibly connected to the life and work of a humble carpenter who would become the hope of Israel and all the nations.
All the functions of a name—reference, revelation, and reputation—come together to carry a lot of weight. A nickname given by a friend or a foe can bring with it remembrance, sometimes in the form of encouragement, and other times as an anchor around one’s neck. We can see that these names of God carried significant weight in the memory of the people of God in the Bible and they still carry weight for us. As with all the names we have studied, YHWH Yirah or “God provides” can be seen not only as a life-granting reminder for the people of Israel, but also a pointer forward to the hope we find in Jesus.
Sometimes names can give a feel for one’s reputation and point to history. Think of figures such as Alexander the Great, Bloody Mary (Queen of Scots), or Vlad the Impaler. Though the name may not carry a wealth of information, it can speak of the renown (or infamy) of a person. In the Bible, there are many examples of names for God that do this. In Isaiah, it often speaks of the “Holy One of Israel” and in Jeremiah the “Lord of Hosts” but regardless of the book, these names carry a story, a memory of what God has done. One of the most powerful of these names is “El Shaddai” or what is sometimes translated “God Almighty.”
Sometimes names function as a simple reference, but other times they reveal something related to one’s character. For example, if you stop to help a stranded motorist with a flat tire, the motorist may call you a “hero” or a “savior.” Names can be a revelation about a person.
YHWH Ra’ah or Rohi means “God is my shepherd.” A quick read of Psalm 23 will show what the author feels about the character of and relationship to this “Shepherd.”
We all have personal names. If you have forgotten yours, think back to that time you broke a lamp, stole a candy bar, or lied about your grade on that test. Our mother never forgot our personal name, in fact, in situations such as these she often included our middle name just to ensure no one else would be confused and think she was talking to them, right?
Though there isn’t total agreement on meaning or pronunciation, four Hebrew characters make up God’s personal name to the Israelites—in English we would transliterate it to “YHWH” but in most English Bibles you will see “LORD” (in all capital letters). Think of this as a reference that is more specific than simply saying “God,” thus personalizing and differentiating Him from the gods of the surrounding nations.
Hank Hanegraaff serves as president and chairman of the board of the North Carolina–based Christian Research Institute. He is also host of the nationally syndicated Bible Answer Man radio broadcast, which is heard daily across the United States and Canada—and around the world via the Internet at equip.org.
Hank is the author of more than twenty books, with more than a million copies in print. He is a regular contributor to the award-winning Christian Research Journal and an articulate communicator on the pressing issues of our day.
Jonathan Morrow is the Founder of Think Christianly, a web site devoted to promoting the Christian worldview--especially through the vulnerable post-high school years. He speaks around the country helping Christians understand what they believe, why they believe it, and why it matters. He speaks nationally at conferences, camps, churches, and retreats to youth and adults on Christian worldview and apologetics.
Mike Licona is associate professor of theology at Houston Baptist University and president of Risen Jesus, Inc. He has a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the University of Pretoria, which he earned with distinction and the highest mark. Mike was interviewed by Lee Strobel in his book In Defense of Jesus: Investigating Attacks on the Identity of Christ and appeared in Strobel’s video The Case for Christ. Through his ministry, “Risen Jesus, Inc.” 100,000 Christians have been equipped to share their faith using the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection.
Greg Koukl started out thinking he was too smart to become a Christian and ended up giving his life for the defense of the Christian faith. A central theme of Greg’s speaking and writing is that Christianity can compete in the marketplace of ideas when it’s properly understood and articulated. Greg has published more than 145 articles and has spoken on more than 40 college campuses both in the U.S. and abroad. He is an Adjunct Professor in Christian Apologetics at Biola University. Greg hosts his own radio talk show advocating clear-thinking Christianity and defending the Christian worldview.
The Heart of a Father (Conclusion) Sam Whittaker 07.23.17 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused
1 John 5:13-21: 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. 18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
A Confident Realism: There is a confidence and authenticity to people that are “comfortable in their own skin,” but if we’re honest, realism doesn’t always come naturally to humanity. We are experts at self-delusion and self-rationalization. Think about it. We all have at least one family member or friend that truly believes they have a particular skill, but we know the truth. Consider Uncle Festus. He loves to dance and at your cousin’s wedding he drank a little too much, as usual. Only one thing can happen now. You brace yourself for the convulsive storm of arms and legs, but you know most of the onlookers are oblivious to the spectacle about to take place. By the end of the event, he is confident that he was the life of the party even though the bride has twice cried in shame, and at least one person had to leave the dance floor in need of minor medical attention. Of course, good ole Festus leaves the wedding “more confident in his dancing gift,” but the rest of the guests depart with smart phones filled with Facebook uploads that would make Festus blush. Fortunately, he isn’t on Facebook. Like Uncle Festus, we often slide to extremes in our self-evaluation. From where does our confidence stem, and how realistic is it? After all, “liking to dance” and “being a good dancer” are two separate but valid things. What would make Uncle Festus comfortable with enjoying dancing and knowing he is mediocre at it? In a similar way, what would make us utterly confident in our faith knowing that we don’t have it “all put together” or all the answers? John has referred to his listeners as “beloved,” “little children,” and “children of God.” His words declare “you are the family of God and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” His goal is to firmly plant them in the King’s garden, a place where growth and redemption are certain, and their varied beauty endless. They believe in the name of the Son of God and His name is now part of their own. But in the midst of the beauty of His garden, John is reminding them that the deposed tyrant of the land is still menacing God’s people, even planting weeds and false gardens in their midst, and they must be cautious.
1 John 5:1-12: 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Birthright and Bloodline: I could be wrong, but I believe most parents not only want their children to thrive, but they also want them to carry and reveal some remnant from each of them. Far more than the “nature” of a few proteins in the double-helix of DNA, we want our “nurture,” our working of the clay of our children's lives, to be evident in the way they live. Recall one of those special moments like when a young boy, sitting at the kitchen table, mimics every move his father makes as he goes through his morning routine of reading the morning paper and eating his breakfast. The boy who really doesn’t get excited over snotty eggs learns to eat the white first and then gulp up the whole yolk all at once just like Daddy does. Or imagine the same boy carefully spreading shaving cream over his face, then scraping it away with the handle of his toothbrush because he saw how Daddy does it. We want our children to perpetuate something of our character that somehow bridges the legacy of our identity and efforts into the future. Fast forward to the same boy as a twenty-something. He is now his own man. Not a “mini-me” but a wonderful variant of both mom and dad with a bit of the child’s freestyle mixed in. Now, imagine you have a family friend who gave your son a job at his machine shop. One day he comes to you and as you share a conversation over a beer, he begins telling you that he doesn’t respect your son, remarking how he is “so different from you.” Gut-check. Even if those criticisms were objectively accurate, what would your initial reaction be? I think in my own mind I would be inclined to wrap my hands around my so-called friend’s scrawny little neck, because how can someone love and respect me, the father, and yet hate my son?
1 John 4:7-21: 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
For the Love of God! Have you ever had one of those moments where someone used a particular word excessively in conversation? You think to yourself, searching for an explanation why such an uncommon word has suddenly received such regularity. You wonder if Billy Bombastic had just received one of those “New Word Everyday” calendars and you simply bumped into them on “extraneous” day, which is not only bizarre due to the excessive use of the word, but also because his use of it was indeed “extraneous” in virtually every utterance. A slightly different scenario might be with a loved one where they choose to use the repetition of a word in conversations with you to somehow ensure you remember it or catch a hint. It’s as if the conversation has become a giant syringe subliminally injecting the key word into the recesses of that bucket-with-a-hole you call your memory. It is fair to say that we all adopt pet words into our vocabulary that somehow launch themselves from our tongues too often. Even within church circles, we have burdened our vocabulary with words that may have truth to them, but our use of them is baffling to those outside of our church context— “fellowship,” “ministry,” “conviction,” “saved,” and the like. Whatever the case, sometimes this makes the hearer want to respond with a mildly irritated “For the love of GOD . . .” Look carefully in this section and you will find John repeating a word to his hearers. Without irritation and with fatherly care, it is as if he is saying “For the love of God, look for the love of God.” Without looking at any other criteria, this section of the text includes twenty-seven uses of the word “love” in its different tenses (all based upon the same Greek word), and twenty-one uses of the word “God.” You don’t have to be an astrophysicist to understand the thrust of what John wants his hearers to capture. God is love, He loved us first, and any love we have to offer is borrowed from His.
1 John 4:1-6: 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 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. 4 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. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Close Encounters: Have you ever had one of those truly spiritual moments? Most of us remember at least one grace-filled, awe-producing moment. Though fleeting, they put giant smiles on our faces and fill our hearts. Maybe it was a conversation with a complete stranger when you shared a bit of your story and heard his. Maybe it was holding your newborn for the first time, or maybe it was a meal you shared with your spouse or spouse-to-be in a very special place. These are sometimes referred to as “thin” moments or places where, like the sharing of oxygen through the whisper of a bride’s veil, we almost feel the breath of God. There is also the other side, where the membrane between material and spiritual is just as thin. Moments of oppression or unexplained despair can come on us like a viral flood. I remember a night a few years back when I felt an evil oppression in my dreams and I was awakened from sleep to an audible low growl with the weight of a man pressing on my chest, sending me deep into my mattress. I swear I thought I would open my eyes and see someone over me. It feels odd to admit to it, especially because I have no rational explanation for it. Truth be told, I have suffered from a heart condition called atrial fibrillation for over 10 years, but this was not my heart. The physical sensation took my breath away, and though it only lasted seconds, my sleep escaped me for what remained of the night. It was one of those moments when I felt complete vulnerability and real fear. Needless to say, I prayed. The reality of a spiritual realm is not in question for John. He wants to make sure that his listeners are aware that there are spiritual forces at play and they are not always good; but, most important, their quality can be tested. Much like his previous contrast of “love of the world” against “love of the Father” (Session 5), John brings out his permanent marker again to lay down a line between “the Spirit of truth” and the “spirit of error.”
Matthew 1:18-25: 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Fatherhood: You may not be a parent, but I tell you being a Dad is incredibly fulfilling and very difficult. I remember sitting in the “delivery room” as my wife was going through cycles of pain and hopeful uncertainty. Some ice chips and a small bit of cranberry juice were the only solace in the active skirmish taking place within her (as if that provided any sustenance to carry her through the battle to come). In the midst of this quiet room, all I could do was wait, do my best to comfort her, and keep my own anxious thoughts to myself. I recall the moment one of the nurses indicated we were getting close. “We” was not very accurate, but I appreciated the pseudo-inclusion. She went to get the doctor and said, “make sure you don’t push yet.” The moment the door creaked shut, I heard this guttural hiss from my wife, so I asked, “wait, are you pushing?” In a half grunt and a voice much deeper than I recall her having, she said “I DON’T THINK SO.” It wouldn’t help to call her a “liar,” so I jumped up and ratted her out to the nurses. Moments later my beautiful daughter was born. From the moment we uneasily receive that swaddled, cooing lump of personhood, we are forever changed for good and for bad. On the good side, we now have a fuller purpose to bring life and hope to another, but on the bad side, this good threatens to take down the walls of our pride and personal desires. “What do you mean we can’t go on that vacation now?” “What do you mean I have to lose sleep and still get up at 5:00am to go to work?” “Are you serious? How can so much stuff come out of such a small thing?” Two kingdoms are fighting within the city walls, where a parent’s heart, will, and self-importance become the battleground for true “parenthood.” Success requires leaving a part of ourselves behind like a field amputation in the middle of cannon fire.
Mary’s husband, Joseph, is portrayed in Matthew’s gospel account as a man who stepped into the role of parent before setting eyes on his child, in fact, this child was certainly not his own. Even if you don’t have children and never plan to, stand in his place for a moment and you will see the magnitude of Joseph’s faithfulness and sacrifice in adversity. Betrothed to a pregnant virgin, ready to quietly slip out the door, called by God to marriage, we see Joseph choosing true sacrificial fatherhood.
1 John 3:11-24: 11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Brothers and Bullies: I love my brother. He’s a couple of years older than me, and definitely wiser. I remember a time when I was a preschooler, and I was in daycare after school. As I was playing inside the giant cement tunnel in the lower playground at St. Marks Episcopal, I came face-to-face with my first “bully.” I am not sure, but I think his name was Jimmy Spears (yep, it sounds ominous because it was). He was a few grades older than me, and maybe a grade above my brother. He called me “kid” and you know how that sets me off (see Session 3). Anyway, I was being harassed for no apparent reason and I felt trapped. I didn’t even know he was around, but I remember my brother appearing out of nowhere. I don’t recall if it got physical, but if it did, I know the scuffle ended with heroic music, Spears on his rear-end, and my brother, victorious, reaching his massive first-grade arm around me to shepherd me to safety. On that day, the powers of evil were defeated. About a decade later, when my father died of colon cancer, my brother became the most important male role model in my life. It’s not like we don’t have differences or we spend every week on the phone, but deep down I know our “blood” means something. I can count on his counsel and care, but not every sibling story is the same as mine. John writes as a subject within the Roman Empire, and the city of Rome at the center of the Empire was said to be founded by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. One version of the myth describes them born to a princess by the god Mars and hunted by an evil uncle. Together they help defeat that uncle and found the city of Rome, but disagreeing on which hill would be best to found the city upon, Romulus kills Remus. This is a different kind of brotherhood. So far, John has reinforced proper foundational faith and ethics using familial language like “beloved” and “little children,” but here he makes a sharp distinction between two types of brotherhood, one good and one evil.
1 John 3:1-10: 1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Tax Returns and Children: Don’t you love tax refunds? My wife and I always get our taxes done as early as possible so we can put the refund to use, usually to pay for property taxes. Funny, we receive our tax refund to pay more taxes—only in America! Anyway, those few weeks after we send our tax returns have become weirdly hopeful, because we have spent years tweaking our withholdings knowing (hoping) a good chunk of money will come back to us. Simply put, we make plans for what has yet to occur. Consider things with larger horizons, like our children. If you have children, have you ever considered that every instruction you give them anticipates something? You may tell your son to wear a helmet when riding his bike, because you are anticipating his safety. You may tell your daughter to work hard on her homework, because you are anticipating her success. You may tell your teenager to clean his room because most potential wives are NOT anticipating a “slob” for a husband. You plan for what is yet to occur, but these plans are built on something. They are fueled by hope. You may tell your daughter to work hard on her homework, because you are anticipating her success. You may tell your teenager to clean his room because most potential wives are NOT anticipating a “slob” for a husband. You plan for what is yet to occur, but these plans are built on something. They are fueled by hope.
John’s vision is for his family—his proverbial children—to grab ahold of a future hope that enables them to live differently now. He knows that Jesus’ incarnation and glorification to
the right hand of the Father are not only foundational events behind them, but they have also triggered seismic and hopeful implications for living life cemented in God’s imminent future with His “children.”
Have you ever been to a zoo and watched a caged animal behave in awkward ways, like a panther pacing back and forth or an elephant swaying unceasingly? This stress-induced behavior has been cleverly named “zoochosis” but is also known as stereotypy.
Matthew 6:25-34: 25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Family traditions are funny—road trip seating assignments, family game nights, pre-dinner table rituals. As children, we may have gone to a friends house and wondered “why doesn’t my friend’s dad sing a song before passing the mashed potatoes”? Sometimes the tradition was honored, sometimes ridiculed, and other times simply loathed.
Matthew 6:5-18:
5 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16 And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Isaac Serrano speaks on Colossians 1:15-23 at all campuses in the second week of this series.
Poetry has always been an effective medium for communicating and remembering essential truths. This passage, emphasizing the supremacy of Christ, is one of the earliest Christian poems written, and it provides a wisdom for the ages that both the Colossians and we should heed.
Isaac Serrano speaking at the Gilroy Campus on Luke 10:1-37 during the twelfth week of this series.
Jesus, the lamb of God, prepares His followers to be ambassadors on a dangerous mission.