Saturday, January 29, 2011

Not Willing to Suffer?

‎"If thou art willing to suffer no adversity, how wilt thou be the friend of Christ?" — Thomas à Kempis

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Friday, January 28, 2011

1 Peter 2:13-25 Bible Study Questions

Here are a few questions to help prepare for lesson 4 of the Strength for the Struggle class. If you are not in the class, hopefully they will be useful for your own private study

1. (V. 14) What are governors (governments) supposed to do? (What does this teach us about the relationship of law and morality?)

2. (V. 15) How can “doing good” silence the ignorance of the foolish?

3. (V. 16) What does Peter mean when he says, “live as people who are free?”

4. (V.19) What does it mean to be “mindful of God?”

5. (V. 20) Why does Peter remind them that it is no profit to suffer for sin?”


6. (V. 21) To what have we been called? (How does this affect your understanding of the Christian life?)

7. (V.22-23) How did Jesus respond to unjust treatment?

8. (V.23) What does it mean that Jesus “entrusted himself to him who judges justly?”


9. (V. 24) What does it mean that Jesus “bore our sins in His body on the tree?”

10. (V.24) What illness do you think Peter has in mind when he says we have been “healed?”

11 (V.24) What does it mean to die to sin?

12. (V. 25) What does “straying like sheep” and having “returned to our shepherd” have to do with the point of this passage?

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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Preach as if Your Life Depended on It

Minister, preach as if your very life is dependent upon the gospel you are proclaiming, because it is.

Doug

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

1 Peter 2:1-12 Bible Study Questions

Here are a few questions to help prepare for lesson 3 of the Strength for the Struggle class. If you are not in the class, hopefully they will be useful for your own private study

1. (V. 3) What does it mean to “taste that the Lord is good?”

2. (V. 5) Why are we called “living stones” and a “spiritual house?”

3. (V. 5) What are “spiritual sacrifices?”

4. (V. 7) What encouragement can believers find in Peter quoting “The stone that the builder rejected has become the chief cornerstone?”

5. (V. 8) What does it mean that they were “destined” to “stumble?”

6. (V. 9) Who is Peter calling a “chosen race” and why does Peter tell us this?

7. (V.9) What is the “darkness” out of which we were called?

8. (V9) Who are the “people for his own possession?” Jews, Gentiles, or the Church (Jews and Gentiles).

9. (V. 9) What is the “marvelous light?”

10. (V. 11) How do the passions of the flesh war against the soul?

11. (V. 12) When Peter speaks of the “Gentiles,” to whom is he referring?

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Illuminati, Legalism, and Forgiveness in Christ

Tonight at the gym after the game was over, I was surrounded by six guys preaching illuminati, legalism, and all sorts of deception. After presenting them with some actual arguments for the truth, I asked them where they would find forgiveness for their sin in their view of things. Without an answer, they all stood silent as I told them about Jesus and the cross. Pray for them.

Doug

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Saturday, January 15, 2011

A Root of Poor Theology - Christopher Neiswonger

"Jesus' primary interest was in the personal salvation of those he came to save; his secondary interest was in their personal behavior. He expected everyone that had the first to be concerned about the second. The root of poor theology is to reduce the first to the second, or the second to the first."

-Christopher Neiswonger

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Do Not Become Reacquainted With Sin - Robert Leighton

“You who have chosen Christ for your love, do not let your hearts fall so that you become reacquainted with sin. This will only bring new bitterness to your souls, for some time at least; it will deprive you of the sense of the favor of your beloved Jesus.” - Robert Leighton

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

1 Peter 1:13-25 Bible Study Questions

Here are a few questions for lesson two of the strength for the struggle Bible study through 1 & 2 Peter. These questions are designed to get us thinking through the text. We will be looking at this text in depth this coming Sunday and attempt answer these questions among others. The quotes in these questions are from the English Standard Version (ESV).


1. (V. 13) What does it mean to be sober-minded?
(What would it mean for our minds to not be sober?)


2. (V. 13) How do we prepare our minds for action?


3. (V. 14) What are the “passions of our former ignorance” that we are now to reject?


4. (V. 17) Why should the fact that our Father judges impartially, cause us to fear?


5. (V.17) What does “the time of your exile” refer to?


6. (V 18) What does it mean that they “were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers?


7. What point is V. 20 and 21 making?


8. (V. 22) What does it mean when it says, "having purified your souls by our obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love?"


9. (V. 23) What does it mean that we have been born again of imperishable seed?


10. (V. 25) In summary of chapter 1, what is the “good news that was preached to you?”

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Thursday, January 06, 2011

First Peter 1:1-12 Bible Study Questions (Strength for the Struggle Lesson 1)

For those of you who will be attending the class this weekend, or if you simply would like to do a Bible study on the first half of 1 Peter chapter 1, here are a few questions to help us begin thinking through the text. The translation used when putting these questions together was the ESV. One thing to keep in mind when going through these questions, is that some of these are not designed to be answered with quick easy answers. They are designed to open up further study and discussion.

To whom is this book written?

What does Peter mean when he says "the sprinkling with blood?"

What does it mean that God "caused us to be born again?"

Why does he call it a "living hope?"

What is being kept for us?

What does it mean when it says we are being guarded (kept)?

What does it mean that we are guarded (kept) through faith?

What is going to be revealed in the last time?

What is the significance of the word "grieved" when Peter mentions the trials we may need to face?

What does Peter mean when he speaks of the “testing of our faith” or the “trial of our faith”?

Why is faith more precious than gold?

What may these trial result in?

Why does Peter place emphasis on the fact that we have not seen Him?

What is the outcome of our faith?

In verses 3-9, which of the following does Peter mention; that we have been saved, are being saved, and/or will be saved?

What did the prophets do regarding this salvation?

What Spirit was in the prophets, and is this any different than the Holy Spirit?

What was the Spirit predicting?

What else was revealed to them?

How were the prophets serving the readers of Peter's letter?

What were the things proclaimed in which the angels long to look?

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