Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4:1-16

Great passage here. Lots to take from it. I know we've been lax over the last couple weeks because of the business, but business is not an excuse to not be in the word! So, this week, I want to take a little more time than normal to go over this text. Let's all be ready to go by 15 till, instead of 10 till. It's only five more minutes, but five minutes can be a big deal!

See you all Sunday.

-robbie

James 3

James 3

This is a great passage of scripture. Lot's to take from it, and being that we are such noticeable faces in our church, it greatly applies to us! Pay particular attention to vs 13-18. When we are involved in a ministry such as ours, this can easily be something that our enemy uses to deceive us. Let us not fall into such temptations.

-Robbie

Romans 14

Romans 14

I think this is a good piece of scripture to meditate on this week. Let's make no mistake here. This passage is not just about food and drink. It's about our lives and the way we carry ourselves. I think if we took the time to really investigate ourselves, we'd see that sometimes we say or do things that may cause our brother or sister to stumble. We are all guilty of this, me first and foremost. As we continue to seek after God, let us be aware of the things that stand in each others way. Ultimately, these things will stand in the way of us growing closer to God. As always, we'll get into this deeper Sunday morning.

-robbie

James

James 1:22-27

James is a butt-spanking book! I love it! This excerpt that we'll be discussing is an interesting piece of scripture. I would highly recommend that you read the entire chapter. I would even more so highly recommend that you read the whole book. It won't take you long. James is a short book. But there is a ton of stuff in here that we could talk about for the next year. Seriously! Anyway, give it a look and we'll talk about it Sunday. Several of you were slackers last week! LOL make sure you read this week! I'm going to ask one of you to lead this time this week. You won't know who until Sunday! :)

-Robbie

Luke 5

Luke 5:27-32

This is one of the most famous excerpts in all of scripture. But there is an underlying lesson here. This one is not hidden and it's not very hard to see if you really read and examine the text, so... no itunes gift card this week, but I do want to see who gets it, if for no other reason than for bragging rights.

Read the passage, pray about it, and ask God to reveal something to you this week. We'll gather, as always, Sunday morning to discuss. I look forward to what you all have to say. Also, during this time, if there's something that you've been reading on for awhile and have some good insight into something that you think God would want you to share with all of us, please do so! Remember, we study the scriptures not just for our own benefit, but for others' benefit, as well.

Love y'all

Robbie

Matthew 8

There is a ton of great theology found in the book of Matthew. Chapter 8, however, is especially intriguing. There is an underlying theme here that can easily be missed if you don't take time to dissect and study and pray about it.

For this week, I'm going to keep the little "contest" going from our last reading. This one isn't a trick, however. I'm not trying to trip you all up! :)

Read the passage, pray about it, and try to really grasp what is happening here. We will talk about it Sunday morning. Remember, this is not just for the people who are playing and singing this week. Everyone on the Worship team is invited to join us for our discussion. Whoever comes up with the answer to the mystery gets a $10 itunes gift card. If no one does, we'll save it for the next one. We may even start allowing the total to accumulate, if no one gets it this week!

Matthew Chapter 8.... have fun!

-Robbie

Habakkuk

This week we are going to look at a very short passage of scripture, Habakkuk 1: 1-11.

If you would like to keep reading on, I would encourage you to do so. It is a really cool book in the Bible and will give you a lot of questions to ask. If you thirst for theology and explanation, this is a good book for that!

There is one BIG MAJOR illustration that I want to make from this passage. Let's see if you can find it. If you can figure it out, there will be a prize! And to keep it fair, I'll let someone in on what it is that I"m talking about, so I can't say no one guessed it.

Haven't figured out what the prize will be yet, but it will be something fun. Perhaps some of you have a suggestion for the prize??????


Robbie

Hebrews

Good day everyone!

While we are not going to do a book study here, I do want to spend a couple more weeks in Hebrews. Specifically for this week, I want to look at the last section of chapter 5 and into chapter 6. More specifically 5:11- 6:8.

This is a stern warning for us, from Paul. But at the same time, it is also a no-brainer. This is something that we should already be concerned with, as disciples of Christ. This is a short passage with enormous content. Make sure you read and pray about it. Try to pick out a few things that are standing out to you in this and then let's discuss it Sunday morning. I look forward to getting to hear all of you all's thoughts on this.

-Robbie

Theology II

Hello everyone. In keeping with the format we started this past week, this week we will be looking at Hebrews 2.

I've told you all, at one time or another, that Hebrews is probably one of my favorite books of the bible. And throughout the next few months, we will probably spend a good bit of time in this book. Just a couple things about the book: this book:

First of all, no one knows, for sure, who the actual author is of this book. It has been widely speculated that Paul was the author, but for many reasons (lack of personal greeting, no self mention, and things within the actual text) this has been dismissed. It is more likely that, given the author refers to himself as being a Jew, and having heard of the message of Christ second hand from those who received it from the LORD Himself, Appolos or Barnabus are more likely candidates. This book is a book of encouragement to the Christian. The actual recipients of the book were thought to have been a group of Jewish Christians who were facing persecution at the time and were considering renouncing their Christianity and reverting back to Judaism. The writer gives some excellent depicting of Christ's authority, His divinity, and His walk as an earthly man. There are so many things that we can pull from this text to strengthen and encourage us on our journey with Christ. Just as the Hebrews that the text was originally intended for did, we, too, need this encouragement and reminding of who Christ is, what He has accomplished, and how we are to walk with Him.

If you would like a detailed overview, I found one here. It is a lengthy read, but well worth it. We need to be reminded that there are resources out there to help us understand what we are reading, when we read our scriptures. It is important that we don't just read the Word, but that we search out those who God has gifted with grasping and understanding it. And while we should ALWAYS test and approve by comparing that to what the scriptures say, make no mistake. There are those who I believe God has called to be our spiritual leaders. When we begin to think that we have the market cornered on it, we fall into a deadly trap of pride and arrogance.

I look forward to having these discussions with you all over the next few weeks. Read Hebrews 2 and we'll chat this sunday.

robbie

Theology

Theology

What is theology? Well, the dictionary defines it as "the study of divine things or religious truths."
We've talked a lot, over the last year, about theology. We've discussed the importance of studying it and having a good working knowledge of it, for the purposes of being able to, as Peter says, "give an account for the hope that is in you, 1 Peter 3:15.

Many people believe that this just means that you declare you are a Christian. I, however, do not. And I don't just disagree with this idea, I adamantly, fiercely disagree with it. To be able to say,
"I am a Christian", but then not be able to deeply, richly explain what that means to someone who is far from God, or has absolutely no working knowledge of who Christ is, is not only sad, but irresponsible. You will never meet a Buddhist or a Muslim who cannot defend his faith to the nth degree. When we cannot present the full Gospel to those who "have ears to hear", we disgrace the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.

Okay, I'm going to stop now, cause this is a subject that I can literally get on my soap box for and spend the next two years on. As we finish out this year on our worship team, we are going to be delving into some hardcore theology. There are many reasons for this, specific to our needs as a worship team and as prominent faces in our church. Suffice it to say, to reference our brother Paul, we're moving off of baby food and onto meat.

This Sunday, before service, the band and I dove into a little bit of this, while reading John, chapter 6. I want you all to read this, this week, and then we will begin to open discussions into the text over the next week or so. Please, do not come to church this week not having read it. You will be called out and held accountable to it.

I'm excited about where we're going. Let's go with all of the armor of God. Not just some of it.

Love y'all

Robbie

Mark 16

Mark 16

Well, we bring this book study to a close. The 16th chapter of Mark is one where it seems like Mark just kinda said, "Ah,.... the end!" Almost as if it was a throw away, nice tidy way to finish.

However, if you read thoroughly, you will see some heavy words in there. The resurrection is depicted in greater detail by other gospels, but Mark (in typical fashion) gives the facts; just the facts.

It always interested me that Jesus chose to reveal the resurrection through a woman. I don't necessarily have any profound theology statement about this, but I do have some thoughts. What are yours? I'll answer your posts as I read them. Next, I'm saddened by the Disciple's negligence in believing what they had been told, that Jesus was indeed resurrected. These are people who walked with Him for three years, saw the miracles He did, knew He was God in the flesh, called Him LORD, and yet, still let their fears and sinful, wicked hearts convince them that it was all over; that Jesus was just dead and gone. It makes me think: how have I denied Him? How weak is my faith at times? This is a sin that we cannot afford to commit, let alone become habitual. We need to be in prayer for each other and ourselves that we would not fall prey to the doubts and fears that creep up in us, that would keep us from preaching the Gospel to those whom God brings into our folds.

I know this book has been long and arduous, but it has definitely been well worth it. I think we will do some stand alone posts over the next few weeks, and then maybe get back into another book. Let me know your thoughts.

Love you all,

Robbie

Mark 15

Mark 15


This is a hard chapter to read as it details the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. We would rather skim over the chapter without really engaging in what the people did and said to Jesus. None of us likes to think about being spit on, beaten, mocked, having a crown of thorns pierced into our heads or can even comprehend hanging on a cross. Would we have walked through this process as humbly as Jesus did? Because we haven’t met Jesus face to face, it’s hard to get a visual of what it was like. But, imagine someone close to you like your spouse or a parent or one of your children and having to endure watching them go through that. How horrible it must have been for our God to watch Jesus endure a death He didn’t deserve to redeem us from a death that we do deserve.
I was also impacted by God’s sovereignty and plan in this chapter. He has foretold of Jesus since the beginning (see Genesis 3:15). God doesn’t do things recklessly or without forethought. He has a plan that cannot be thwarted by anything we do or by any evil that exists. And, while things happen that we can’t fathom, we can be comforted that He understands why they are happening and that ultimately He will use it for our good (Romans 8:28) and His Glory (Isaiah 46: 9-10). He used Jesus’ crucifixion for our good in that He saved us from sin and for His Glory in that he proved that He was God by creating freedom to worship Him through the tearing of the temple veil and in literally raising Jesus from the dead on the third day. He is always true to what He says.
What thoughts do you have on this chapter?

-Miranda

Mark 14

Mark 14


So many prophecies and so many details in this account that so many of us know. We are so close to the most life-shattering moment in the history of the world. Reading this chapter, and knowing the rest of the story, makes it so bitter-sweet. This is a long chapter, and this may be a long blog, because I want to tell you what I mean.
First, bitter, the Chief Priests are so threatened by Jesus that they begin their plot to get rid of him, and yet they show how cowardly they are, that they decide it is important to wait until after the Passover feast so they wouldn’t upset people.
Second, sweet, the woman who comes and anoints Jesus with the costly perfume, as her gift to the Christ, and bitter, that Jesus knows that this is his anointing to prepare for the tomb.
Third, sweet and bitter, Judas carries out his role in the life of Jesus as first a disciple, carrying his message to the people, and then being tempted by money to turn him over to be arrested.
Fourth, so sweet that Jesus tells his disciples exactly what is going to happen to lead them to where the Last Supper will take place. All the while Jesus knows exactly what is going to happen, and yet he remains consistent in his life and teaching, and never shows anger or resentment that this is his life coming to an earthly end.
Fifth, sweet and bitter, feasting with Jesus! I cannot wait for that day where we share a table with Jesus himself, but how painful was this meal for Judas. Here is where he realizes what he has done, and Jesus lays out some piercing words, that it “would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Can you imagine? What about for the others? They had no idea if that was Jesus talking to them. I can imagine a very uncomfortable meal. Yet Jesus makes it sweet again by offering us a model for how we can share in his life through communion.
Sixth, bitter and sweet, Jesus tries to let the disciples know how difficult it is about to get, and with Jesus not among them, how much more they will be challenged and they will fall away. And Peter, the rock, in an emotional plea I am sure, stands with Jesus, and proclaims he would stand with him even to death. His moment of strength was shortened by the prophecy of his denial, and with such specific detail. You know Peter knew at that point, as with other specific instructions Mark accounted (Triumphal Entry, Where to eat the Passover), knew that it would be so.
Seventh, bitter and sweet, especially to see that in the face of extreme betrayal, persecution, and death, even Jesus was scared and anxious. And yet in the face of this, Jesus models for us what our response should be when we are in moments of trouble and despair, he “fell to the ground” and prayed. Not only that, but he asked his Peter, James, and John to pray for his protection, just as we should with our community of believers.
Eighth, again bitter and sweet, a lynch mob? Really? And Judas had the nerve to use a kiss as a sign of who Jesus was. Such fear in these leaders and such gall in Judas. All the while, Jesus uses the power of his authority and words to rebuke them even in the moment of ultimate betrayal, and the prophecy was fulfilled.
Ninth, sweet and bitter, as Jesus is brought before the Council, no one could testify to anything that would put Jesus to death, and knowing this they asked him if he was in fact the Christ. Knowing this would bring wrath, his power and authority once again came through and he states, “I am, and you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” What power and courage as this led to them beating him out of fear and anger.
And finally tenth, bitter, as Peter falls prey to his weakness, and did as Jesus said, denied him three times in the face of persecution of his own.
As I said, this is a roller coaster chapter, and so full of deep emotion and extreme situations. Powerful stuff, what are your thoughts?

-Philip

Mark 13

Mark 13

I love this chapter! This is one of the only times that Jesus actually talks plainly, and openly about all that must pass. Typically, when the Disciples ask Jesus about something, or to explain something, He will answer with a question, or He'll explain it, after He's given them some parable to consider. But here, they ask Him a pointed question, and He plainly answers them. And make no mistake, this is a warning, not only to them, but to all who read or hear of these words.

We may not see it happen, but you can guarantee that it will. And Jesus says, himself, that no one, not even He, knows the hour. ONLY the Father in Heaven. This should cut us to the core. It should be the very reason that we take seriously our walk with Christ, and our knowledge of Him. (Theology). For even Jesus says, there will be those coming in His name, or proclaiming to be Him. But do not be led astray... And He says that those false prophets, or Anitichrists, will indeed try to manipulate, confuse, or even destroy the Elect (those who are the adopted sons and daughters of Christ- see Ephesians 2:1-10)

How, then, will we know who these prophets are, if we are but babes in our faith? The writer of Hebrews says that we shouldn't remain as infants, once we've encountered the saving faith of Jesus. We are to mature in our faith. He even calls out the men in this piece of scripture saying, you are like babies, still drinking milk, when you should be eating meat! (paraphrasing, of course, but that's what he says)

I want to challenge you all to take your faith seriously. It was given to you by God, it is not of your own doing, just as the Ephesians scripture, listed above, points out. This is so you can't boast or brag that you had anything to do with it, but it's also so that you understand who the perfecter of your faith is, and that you don't take it lightly. It is a gift from God, and we should hold it dearly, and cherish and nourish it, just as we would our own children. We need to be going deeper in the scriptures, reading more about theology, understanding what it is that we believe in. It IS NOT enough to say, "I believe in Jesus". For even Jesus says that He will say, "And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me,^D)"> you workers of lawlessness."- Matthew 7:23

Mark 12

Mark 12

Whew! Lots going on in this group of passages. The parable of the tennants, the resurrection, money and possessions, and on and on. As we get further into the book of Mark, we begin to see the ministry of Jesus really begin to advance. Jesus is teaching some hard and harsh things and he is just giving one lesson after the other. I can only imagine the disciples walking around with Jesus thinking, wow! This just keeps getting better and never lets up.

And I think often times we forget that. Our walks with God should just keep getting better, every day. And we should never want to let up on it. It should energize us to go deeper and farther in our search of God.

Two things that stand out to me here. First, Jesus foreshadows his death in the very first parable. They don't understand what he's talking about, of course, but it's right there. I love how Jesus would tell people things that were very easy to understand, if they would just listen. And second, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." I love that Jesus just says this. He allows them to believe the illusion of something being someone's other than God. Cause if you look hard enough, you see the very next thing is the story of the woman who gives her last two pennies to the offering and what Jesus says about her. I believe that those dinari probably had Caesar's image on it. And yet, Jesus says that because she gave all that she had to our Father in heaven, she would receive great reward. In the end, Jesus was saying that everything is God's. It doesn't matter who's image is on the coin. It all goes to intent. And what you do with what God has given.

-Robbie

Mark 11

Mark 11


Hey all, this is Miranda. This week we're in Mark 11. What I was most struck by in this chapter is the overarching theme of Jesus' authority. It begins with the Triumphal Entry. Imagine being one of the disciples and being instructed to go to the next town to get a colt that's going to be tied up and then be given the words to say to the person you'll be taking it from. And, THEN actually going to that town and everything happening just as Jesus said. I thought to myself, "Their hearts must have been pounding from awe and excitement." I wonder what it must have been like for them to be walking beside Jesus as people everywhere cried out "Hosana!" And, did they even understand what was happening?

As the chapter continues, Jesus clears the temple and rebukes the people for desecrating it. He commands a fig tree to never bear fruit again. And, the Pharisees fail again to trap him when they ask him by what authority he's done these things. What I walked away with from this chapter is that Jesus can exercise His authority in any situation. We have four different situations here where He did this. It's a reminder to me of His power and how every area of my life is much better off under that authority.

Mark 10

Mark 10


Philip here, and I love the story of Jesus with the children. I am perplexed at times as to why the disciples were trying to keep the children away, but I can assume there was a large crowd and that after being pressed for long periods of time they were tired, irritable, frustrated, etc. No excuse, but Jesus’ words here really spoke to me through a song called “Fingertips and Noses” by Newsong back in the ‘90’s (so weird to think that was a LONG TIME AGO!) The sentiment of the song is a children’s class at church, and they are learning about how Jesus was sacrificed, raised from the dead, ascended to heaven and then one day will return. With childlike anticipation, all the kids run to the window to see Jesus coming from heaven, and they leave finger and nose prints on the window. Beautiful visual of how kids don’t let their unbelief get in the way, they simply believe!

The other thing that has always been a challenging verse for me is in the story of the rich young man. First of all, I wish we knew exactly what they meant by rich in this passage, but I have to consider that I would fall into the rich category as I am in the top percentages in the world in income, and have lots of stuff. Jesus is speaking to a man that follows the law and considers himself a “good person”, but with the question he is asking he is clearly looking for something else, or feels incomplete in his salvation. Jesus knows that his vice is selfishness. He keeps more to himself than he gives. Verse 23 is a tough one, often discussed and probably often misunderstood. I did a little research and found an account that the original Greek actually was written as kamilos (meaning rope) rather than kamelos (meaning camel). Easy to get hung up on this, but even if it is a rope trying to pass through a needle eye or a camel trying to pass through a narrow gate in Jerusalem called the eye of a needle, the key point is the same. Anything is possible with God. Jesus is trying to impress upon them just how powerful God is. He can move mountains, he can accomplish things that man cannot, such as either example above.

What really resonated with me today is the combination of these two, I want to believe with childlike anticipation, that any situation I am faced with, God can accomplish, no matter how impossible it may seem.

Philip

Mark 9

Mark 9

As we move into Mark 9, I notice something that begins to start taking place throughout the story telling. Jesus begins to continually make reference to His resurrection. And the scriptures say that the Disciples were either "afraid" or "confused", and did not ask Him about this.

This brought up an interesting thought for me. How many times are we afraid of the answer to something or confused and don't want to look stupid, therefore, we don't ask. I find that this happens a lot. It took me a long time to get to a point where I would lay down my own pride and not worry about looking stupid or hearing what I didn't want to hear and just ask. The reality is, sometimes the answer we get is not the answer we want, or the answer we get gives us information that we really would've rather not known. However, the answer is the answer, nonetheless. We can't change the answer. It is what it is, and rather than avoid it, I think we need to sometimes embrace it. We need to realize that God is Sovereign. He has ordained all things from beginning to end. And though we may not understand it, or like it, it is what it is, regardless. A perfect example would be the flood that we have recently experienced this week. None of us know why, nor would any of us, I would imagine, want it to have happened. But in the end, it becomes an opportunity for us. It's in those times when we can show humility by admitting we don't know the answer. We can show compassion by helping those who are affected. And we can show the love of Christ by just being there for people, praying for people, and caring for people.

-robbie

Mark 8

Mark 8


Hi, Team! It’s Molly writing the blog this week, about Mark 8.

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."

While Jesus refused to give the Pharisees a sign, his disciples had all just witnessed
Jesus taking seven loaves of bread and a few small fish, feeding four thousand people with it, and having seven baskets of bread left over. He’s also, at this point, walked on the Sea, healed a Deaf Mute, and made people well just by them touching Him.

Shortly after when Jesus tells the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, the disciples don’t think of it as a warning to help them, they think he is upset with them because they only brought one loaf of bread. They’ve just witnessed the miracle that he performed with the previous group, feeding them from seven loaves of bread, and they think He’s upset about the bread? You feel like asking them, “Were you paying attention, at all to what just happened?” Which is basically what he does say to them. Jesus has just told the Pharisees he does not need to give them a sign, and then the people following him most closely that have been witnessing true signs the whole time of the Word he speaks and of the Godly acts he performs, are thinking he would be upset about something that they just watched him take complete control over?

We live in a society that is always looking for “proof” before we take action on something. We have all been these disciples at some point. We are always seeking signs from God, we even ask for them, but how many come that we just skip over, in turn thinking that God has forgotten about us and that he is upset with us about “the bread”? I can think of too many instances where God would be able to say to me, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?”

Mark 7

Mark 7


Hey everyone! This is Miranda. This week we are going to be in Mark 7. In this chapter, Jesus is confronted by the scribes and Pharisees because the disciples did not follow the traditions of the Jews. If you were Jewish, it was required that you wash your hands before eating. This was a tradition instituted by the elders, in addition to other traditions like washing pots and pans before eating from them.

That may seem silly to us because we all wash our dishes and hands. But, the big underlying issue here is, the Pharisees saw their traditions as law and replaced the law of God for their own beliefs. They spent more time focusing on protecting their man-based traditions rather than using God’s commandments as the guide for their actions. Because they were like this, they were very judgmental of anyone who did not hold to their standards. It brings to mind Matthew 7: 3-5 where Jesus preaches about taking the log out of our own eye so that we may take the speck out of our brother’s eye. When you spend all your energy judging someone else, you can’t see that you’re the one who is in need of help.

What I want us to think about this week is: Are there things in our lives that are tradition to us that don’t measure up with what Gods says? Do we pay God lip-service with hearts far from him and worship him in vain, holding to our own traditions instead of His commandments, as verses 6-7 say? What are your thoughts and what stood out to you in this chapter?

Mark 6

Mark 6


Hey guys, it’s Philip this week. Wow, life is busy, but if you are like me, this blog certainly holds me accountable to being in the word more consistently. I am so proud to be a part of this team!
We have a really long chapter this week, and some great stories: Jesus walking on the water, feeding of the 5,000, Jesus healing the sick with only the touch of his garment, AMAZING POWER! With all these powerful stories, I was struck by some of the language yet again, and specifically in what I want to point out, vs. 7-13, when Jesus sends out His disciples.
Up to this point, Jesus called these men and had them travelling with Him, but it was clearly the right time, they had seen enough and heard his teachings enough to be sent out on their own. I noticed He sent them out in pairs, for strength and support, and I would argue in parallel with our lesson this week, for fellowship. Knowing the hearts of these men, and seeing them even in this chapter become frightened of situations, Jesus was intentional about setting them up to work together. He also sent them with nothing except a staff. This was to push them to place all of their trust and faith in God’s ability to sustain their earthly needs such as food, water, etc. It seems a bit extreme, but what about this mission wasn’t extreme? Remember, though Jesus was becoming increasingly famous, there was certain danger everywhere they went as this teaching was challenging the norm.
The last point that struck me, was a burden I have carried at times, and that is that if they were to proclaim the gospel and it fall on deaf ears, to “shake off the dust” and move on. We carry the burden of sharing the gospel with others, and I know that each of us do this differently and more than just on Sunday’s, as I have witnessed this in many of you. But I know at times if I share my faith, and someone rejects it, I struggle with what I may have done wrong. To me, Jesus is encouraging his closest to teach, work, share, love, heal, admonish, and live the gospel, and if the “ground is hard”, there are many more who need to hear. Ultimately I draw back to this parable of the sower, and the fact that Jesus wants us to spread the gospel seed, and sometimes it will not take, but that seed remains and may someday take hold.
Are we ready to be sent the way Jesus sent his disciples?

Mark 5

Mark 5

This is going to be a short post by me. LOL! I know, right? Me not talking long? HA!

I will say this though: Giant of a man, possessed by a multitude of demons, chained up on the side of a mountain, crazy and violent. You gotta be either out of your mind to go near this dude, or the Son of God, on a mission to show people the power He was able to wield! Just sayin!

But seriously, this is a great chapter with many cool miracles in it. It just goes to show how Jesus had compassion on people and was willing to heal, or even bring back from the dead. Why aren't we willing to get outside our comfort zones to help people. Here's my question though. Don't be afraid to answer, thinking someone's gonna try and trap you! I honestly just want to know your thoughts.

Why do you think Jesus told so many that he healed not to say anything?

-Robbie

Mark 4

Mark 4

Oh, there are sooooo many things that I could pick from. Once again, we see Jesus in the throws of His ministry. It says that there were so many people gathered around, that He had to get into a boat so that the crowd could gather around Him to hear. Can you imagine what that scene would've looked like? Amazing.

So, two things I'll take from this today: 1) Jesus decided to speak in nothing but parables to the masses. Why? Well, He tells us. But what does it mean, "Lest they should turn and be forgiven"?
Plain and simple.... it's Jesus being candid. Remember, Jesus said, only those that the Father has given Him will turn and repent. I believe that what this means is this: If Jesus just came right out and said everything in plain words, it would be no different than all the other philosophers and teachers of that day. However, by speaking in parables, those who were being drawn would hear these parables and the "seed" that Jesus was scattering, would not fall on shallow or rocky soil. Those who heard Jesus speak and were convicted of the truth, WOULD seek to understand the parables and WOULD turn and repent.

2) We don't know at what point in the ministry this happened, but the scene of Jesus calming the wind.... WOW! We know that Mark is not chronological in order, but I have to think, just by what Jesus says, that this happened a good few weeks into the ministry. They had seen everything that Jesus had been doing, and had heard all of His teachings, and yet, they still were asking who is this man that even the wind submits to His authority. But in the end, I believe that Mark wrote this because he knew that even though we can hear about all Jesus did, and still put our hope and salvation in Him, we would still lack faith at times. It just reminds me that I have to trust EVERYTHING to Him.

Robbie

Mark 3

Mark 3

Okay, remember.... "Just the facts, ma'am! Just the facts!"

If I were Mark, writing this Gospel, and I knew that all I was going to write were just a bunch of accounts of what Jesus had done, my head would be hurting! I mean, how could you pick through what it was you wanted to give an account of? We all know the character of Peter, this overzealous, high strung dude who just wanted to tell everyone about Jesus. Can you imagine sitting down with him and taking notes? This is what Mark was doing. It probably was impossible for him to keep up!

I guess the one thing that stands out for me more than anything is in vs. 12. He orders the demons not to make Him known. Now, we would probably say.... why not? Why not let this display of otherworldly beings give testimony to who Jesus was? Wouldn't this just prove for everyone who He was? Well, perhaps, but maybe not. Jesus knew that if these possessed people were allowed to propagate the "heretic", "blasphemous", image that the Pharisees were accusing Him of, then those who sought to kill Him would have their ammo. He knew He had a mission to accomplish. And therefore, He would decide when to reveal Himself, and when to allow them to take Him to his death. Not Satan and his legions. This was the will of the Father. Jesus would not allow anything to come between Him and the Father's will.

But Mark is smart here. He allows us to see this and hear this account of Jesus commanding them not to speak of Him, so that we may see the power and authority given to Him by God, the Father. It would've been easy to leave that little tidbit out. But Mark understood the implications of what he was writing.

Thoughts?

Mark 2

Mark 2:

As I begin to read this chapter, I'm reminded of an old TV show, Dragnet, and its main Character "Joe Friday", who was famous for saying, "Just the facts, ma'am... just the facts!". I see Mark as "Joe Friday". His approach to writing this Gospel was "just the facts". Remember, he was not concerned with the genealogy or chronology. He wanted to make sure that he put as much information into his writings about what Jesus had done as he could. And so he jumps right in. In this first chapter, we see a theme of "challenging". Everything that Mark depicts here is in direct conflict with the Pharisees. It was important for Mark to start this way, because he needed to establish Jesus' authority. Remember, he was speaking to a Roman audience, challenging the fact that Caesar was King.

What stood out to me, as it always does, is the story of the paralytic. Can you imagine for one second being crammed into a house, barely enough room to stand. All of a sudden, as Jesus is teaching, you begin to hear some tearing, perhaps sawing. And then all of a sudden, a huge hole in the roof of the house that you're standing in appears. And through it, a man is lowered down into the middle of the room who is a paralytic.

His friends had heard about Jesus. They believed, even before meeting Him, that Jesus could heal their friend. But in typical Jesus fashion, He did something that no one expected. He didn't heal the man... at least right away. He, instead, says, "Your sins are forgiven". And He did that for a reason. Why? To challenge those who didn't see Him as God in the flesh. He knew that they would begin to mumble about themselves. To say, "your sins are forgiven" was blasphemy to the scribes and Pharisees. Only God can forgive sins.... right? We all agree on that. But that was just the opener. Jesus knew they would think like this, and so He continues. In order to prove to them that He was the Son of Man, he then tells the paralytic to take up his mat and leave. Though forgiveness of his sins was what the man actually needed.... Jesus took that next step and healed the man, so that those who were in attendance could witness His authority, not just hear it.

Jesus was always about taking that extra step. What I pull from this is.... how often do we just do what's necessary and not follow up and take that next step? I think we do it more often then not. We need to be about following through and taking as many steps as necessary to finish the work. Jesus always did. And we're to follow His example.

-robbie

The Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark, chapter 1.

As we get into this book, I'm excited and already looking ahead into what we are going to encounter. I love the Gospels probably more than any of the other books in the Bible. Only because I get to read the words of Jesus, as He spoke them. I love seeing Him encounter people and watch as they are moved from one place to another, or have their lives radically changed, merely through Him speaking. My heart yearns when I read those words. They strengthen me and give me peace. I hope as we move through this book, it will have the same effect on you as well.

So first of all... couple things we need to know. What is a Gospel? In the days of the Romans, when a Caesar was "crowned" or what ever you want to call it, a decree went out that said Caesar is King. It meant that you were to submit yourself to him and his authority. It meant that Caesar was a "god-man", that his words were infallible and to disobey him meant death. These decrees were called gospels. So it is no coincidence that when the Gospels of Jesus were written, they were called "GOSPELS" for a reason. It smacked the face of the emperor. They were absolutely, and intentionally saying that Jesus was King, not Caesar. That Jesus was the "god-man", not Caesar and that to not obey Jesus, meant certain death. (We of course know that the death they spoke of was the "second death", as it is mentioned in the Bible in Revelation 21:8.) And make no mistake.... people were put to death by Caesar for this. Secondly, who was Mark? Well, it is widely accepted by scholars and theologians that Mark is John Mark, a companion and scribe of Paul's. It is believed that Mark wrote the Gospel sometime between 60-70 A.D. And contrary to what you may think (him being a scribe for Paul and all...) the gospel is actually an account from Peter. It was written for a Jewish/Roman audience, and it documents mostly the accounts of Jesus. There is no genealogy, nor is there a birth story in this gospel. It merely focuses on the facts of Jesus' ministry. It is believed not to be chronological, but rather, thematic. Pastor Erik talked about this in week two of Sola Scriptura. And one of the biggest things that took place here was the translation from Aramaic for the purposes of the audience being able to understand. That's a little bit of info on the Gospel of Mark. You can find lots of interesting things about this Gospel if you research it, but be careful. If you are tooling around on the internet for said research, you need to pay attention to the source, and if it's credible or not.

Chapter 1:

Aw, man... I could go on and on and on just in this one chapter! But for time's sake I'll let you guys explore and talk about the many things. I'll key on two things. First: vs. 17-18 "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. WHAT! Are you serious? Some dude comes along, that you've never seen before, speaks one sentence and you completely throw away your entire life to go follow him? Seriously!

Can you imagine, for one second, what Peter and Andrew's hearts felt like when they heard, literally, the voice of God speaking to them; commanding them to follow. I don't know about you, but my heart is wrecked when I read Jesus' words. I can't fathom actually hearing them. If I hadn't had a heart attack at that moment from the sheer power and authority of them, I probably would've fallen to my knees and wept at the beauty of the sound of His voice!

Next: vs 23-28. There were so many teachers and philosophers trying to win the attention of the people back then, they immediately recognized that when Jesus spoke, he carried authority. It wasn't new to them that someone else would be coming along spouting out this new philosophy, it WAS new to them that the person could actually command results with His teaching and his words alone. Can you imagine standing there watching a demon possessed person, who by the way refers to himself in a pluralistic fashion saying, "Have you come to destroy us?" But then he says probably the most key thing from this entire chapter. "I know who you are- the Holy One of God". If I hadn't believed by then, I probably would've had to re-evaluate my position after that encounter!

Okay, I'm done. But I can't wait for your comments! There's sooooo much more in here. We could seriously do a month just on this first chapter. What are your thoughts?

-robbie

Romans 16

Romans 16

Well, everyone, this is it; the final chapter of Romans. I'm sure some of you are saying, "Woohoo!" But the reality of it is, we can almost find more useful instruction on Christian living in Romans than anywhere else in the new testament. Obviously we can find lots of stuff in other books, but Romans is just one nugget after another.

First I want to clear up something that probably gave you pause while reading this. We all have been told forever that Paul wrote Romans. But in the last few lines we see someone named Tertius claiming to have written this letter in his own hand. Don't let that confuse you. It is widely accepted and customary of that time for people like Paul to have hired scribes or "secretaries". Remember, the servant culture in that day was huge. If you weren't a peasant, which Paul wasn't, you would have your "posse" that would carry out your tasks. You need to know that Paul hand wrote the greetings of his letters. From that point on, he dictated the body, then hand-singed the letter. So don't let that confuse you.

The instruction from this chapter is pretty clear. Don't be led astray. Hold true to the teachings of Christ. Be careful not to be in the company of those who are divisive. In Paul's time, there would be Jews who would come behind him, from city to city, and try to tell the new Christians that they had to adhere to all of these Jewish customs in order to truly be saved. Paul warned the church of this. And I think we would do well to listen in our day as well. We have so many people offering up these pluralistic ideas of how Jesus is just "one" way, or unless you do x,y, and z, you can't truly be saved. We need to be armed with the knowledge of the scriptures to combat these ideals. This is why we are devoting so much time this year to this kind of teaching from the stage, and this kind of study by this team. When Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15 to be prepared to give an account, I don't think that he just meant for you to say: Because Jesus loves me and I prayed to Him to save me. If that's the extent of your knowledge of your salvation, you are going to fall prey to those who would cause you to question your salvation. You are going to be hard pressed to defend yourself to a Hindu or a Muslim who can tell you everything about "Your" Jesus, and why their god is just as good.

Anyway, that's Romans. I'd like some feedback on what you guys would like to do for our next blog session. I'm thinking about the Gospel of Mark. What are your thoughts?

-Robbie

Romans 15

Romans 15

Well, I guess by now we should just automatically assume that whatever is next on our blog is going to directly reflect whatever Pastor Erik just taught on! LOL. Apparently, God has some work to do in us beyond what Erik's talks have been about. :)

So, for those of you who didn't get the chance to check out his talk yesterday, as he streamed it live on the web, let me give you a brief rundown of what he talked about. The message was entitled, "The Christ Who Changes Me." And basically, it was this: Christ, who gave you grace and salvation expects a life change to go along with the heart change that was given to you in order that you may come to Him. If the Holy Spirit lives within you, meaning you are a Christian, then you have an obligation to put aside the things of this world and strive for righteousness. One of the main points that he talked about was building up each other. And while his central passage was Colossians, it mirrored that of Romans 15 and the book of James. We are to build each other up, and hold each other accountable.

Vs. 1-7 really speak of this. How many times do we give someone a hard time, in fun, but yet we rarely, if ever, encourage them, tell them how much we appreciate them, or just thank them for who they are and what they are bringing to the church? Or even, how much they mean to us, personally. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to chide each other in fun. But we also have to remember.... are there any unbelievers in our midst while we're doing it? Cause if they are, are we showing them that we have been changed? Or are we just conforming to the culture and the world around us? Are we saying something to build someone up, or tear them down? If Jesus were standing right beside us, would we say it at all? That last question is the big one! Cause here's the reality.... He is!

In a nutshell, this is something that I have to get better at. My nature is one to have fun and joke around with people; to let the little snide remark come out. But at the end of the day, I'm not building up anyone or edifying the church in doing it. I need to repent of this and ask God to continue to change me and grow me.

Robbie

Romans 14

Romans 14

I love this book! And I really like this chapter. It's a big ol' fat reminder to me that I am responsible for my brother and sister! Who am I to judge anyone! It's my job to lift you all up and hold you accountable.... but not to judge; just as it's your job to hold me accountable also.

But the biggest thing that I think we should take away from this chapter is what Paul talks about in the second section. Don't do anything that would cause your brother or sister to stumble. We are responsible for our choices and our actions. And if something we do causes one of us to stumble, or fall back into an old way, then we will be judged for that. But here's the thing.... we may not always know that we are doing these things. We may be unaware of someone's struggle with something... say.... insecurity. We may just joke around and give each other a hard time (like we are prone to do!), but not realize that someone truly struggles with insecurity. And every time we poke fun of, or make a silly joke about something, we may not realize that we are doing real damage to that person.

I know that is a silly example and probably may not be a really big deal, but we don't know. But we do know that we'll be held accountable for it. And so, for me, I really have to think about being mindful of what I say and do. And it's also why it is so important that we be in some kind of accountability group. So if we do have these struggles (and don't kid yourselves... we all have them) then you can at least have someone to unload them on, and to pray for you and encourage you.

Good stuff! Lots to think about. What are your thoughts?

Robbie

Romans 13

Romans 13

Once again.... scary! This week's blog directly coincides with Pastor Erik's talk. (at least the first part does!)

Paul is speaking about authority here. We just heard Erik talk about this yesterday. Bottom line guys, we have people in authority over us. That goes from everything to our government, to our parents, to our church leaders. Paul, on more than one occasion throughout the Bible, points out that to NOT obey these authorities in our lives will lead to judgment. And he actually, literally says it here in vs 2. He not only says you resist those in authority, but by doing so, you resist what God has appointed. Paul says to give to those what is owed them. Not by your standards and what you think they deserve, but by the standard that God has appointed them and therefore, you owe whatever it is.... taxes, respect, honor, etc. to those who are in positions to receive those things.

For me, I struggled with one of those BIG TIME! And I didn't do it out of malice. But I think about times in my life where I didn't give someone the respect that they may have deserved. I have always been brought up with the... well, they gotta earn it, mentality. I had to remind myself that that is not God's way and I had to repent and ask Him to rid me of that. I try to remind myself that, while I may not agree with those leaders (talking mostly about governments here, for me personally), I still have to respect the fact that God has ordained that they be in positions of authority over me... good or bad. But it does spill over into our personal lives as well. Bosses, families, church leaders... etc. And we have to be mindful that, just as Erik pointed out, that they (those in positions of authority over us) WILL be held accountable to a higher standard, by God.

I could go on and on and on and on about this chapter. So many "nuggets"! But for now, let's hear your thoughts.

-robbie

Romans 12

Romans 12

Okay. This chapter is kind of a love-hate chapter for me! Love the first half... the second half just reminds me of how selfish and non-Christ-like I can be.

First half: doesn't get any better than verse 1: [...] present your bodies as a living sacrifice [...] which is your spiritual worship. This is a reference to John 4 (the Samaritan woman). Remember Jesus said to worship in truth and in Spirit. We can stand on the stage and sing "truth" all day long. If we don't live lives of worship that actually reflect the character of God... then are we really worshiping at all? (That's not a rhetorical question.... the answer is NO!)

Classic Paul: First he tells you what the end goal is... In a nutshell, live your lives worthy of the Gospel. Then he tells you how to do it: Vs. 9-21. This is where practical servanthood and the Law differ. If you study the law, which every good Jew does, just like they did back then, then you'll see that there is no way that any human being could fulfill it. And like I mentioned before in one of the earlier posts, Paul makes it specifically clear that the Law is not bad. Nor is it for the purpose of us to actually be able to live our lives according to it. Its purpose is to show the righteousness of God. But then Paul points out here in Romans 12 that it's okay. No one can live up to the law.... and that's a good thing! Not because we can't do it, but because Jesus DID it! And now, Paul gives a new directive: Love each other and try to outdo each other in our service to one another, just as Jesus served those around Him. And how do we serve each other? (BTW, I don't know if anyone else has noticed this or not, but for quite awhile now, our blog has been almost mirroring everything Pastor Erik has been talking about, week for week! It's kind of freaky!) How do we serve each other?

Well, just as Erik talked about yesterday, we must surrender to Christ, and then surrender to His call on our lives. We have to recognize, just as verses 3-8 point out, that each of us have been given different gifts for the purpose of building up each other!

Romans 11

Romans 11

WOW! Okay. Paul is really starting to hammer the idea of grace and salvation in this chapter. Remember, he is talking to a Jewish audience here (for the most part). Remember, the Jews believed that salvation was their birthright; that merely by being born into a certain group of people, they were an elect group. Sounds scarily familiar, doesn't it? What about our culture? Specifically, what about our region that we live in? How many people do you know that call themselves "Christian" as a result of their upbringing or the fact that they live in the Bible belt?

However, Paul makes it adamantly clear. God has granted salvation to the gentiles (that would be us), too. And ultimately, he argues that God has hardened many Israelites' hearts for the purpose of showing them His sovereignty. That they may be jealous of the fact that the gentile is granted salvation, for the purpose of them seeing that ultimately, God decides who will and will not come to Him, as a result of the grace He bestows on them, not the fact that they are Jewish.

We really need to understand this. You often hear Pastors and church leaders say, "It's not our job to save anyone. It's our job to preach the Gospel of Jesus, and God will save them." This couldn't be more true. I'm afraid it's lost some of its fervor, though. This is why it is imperative for us to be in the scriptures. God says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD." -Isaiah 55:8. And the only way we will know His thoughts and His ways are to be in His Word.

For me, ultimately, this chapter is a warning. There is a lot of talk and euphemisms about olive trees and branches. Paul makes it clear that we are but branches "grafted" into a cultivated olive tree, by God, rooted in the "nourishing" root, saying: we are unable to sustain ourselves in the life that God grants; that it is only by His grace and mercy that we have life. And Paul says that we are not to be proud of this, but rather, grateful, living everyday for Him.

-Robbie