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Category Archives: Scripture reflections

Who is the Holy Spirit? (discussion questions)

20 May

Here are the discussion questions that accompany my message at Eastbrook Church this past weekend beginning our “Holy Spirit” series entitled “Who Is the Holy Spirit?“

Discussion Questions:

  1. This week, we are beginning a new series on the Holy Spirit. What are some questions that you have about the Holy Spirit?
  2. Whether on your own or with a group, begin your study by asking God to speak to you. Read the Gospel of John chapters 14-16 out loud. This is Jesus’ most extensive teaching in John’s gospel. There is a lot in here about the Holy Spirit, but the surrounding context is also important.
  3. What names or titles did you notice were given to the Holy Spirit in John 14-16? Read the rest of this entry »
 
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Posted by on May 20, 2013 in Eastbrook, Scripture reflections

 

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Preach the Gospel to Yourself Daily

13 May

Recently, I was talking with someone about what we most need in our lives for growth and I was reminded of the simple truth that we need to take in the message of the Gospel everyday. Wherever we are and whomever we are, it is of highest priority that we preach the simple message of good news to ourselves daily. In simplicity that message is as follows:

  • you are sinner who was lost in the death of sin and brokenness
  • God reached out to you in Jesus Christ apart from anything you’ve done (or will do)
  • God has brought you into the embrace of His family through grace and love
  • God has given you a place of belonging through eternity with Him

There are so many things in our daily lives push back against the gospel. People press against us with all sorts of messages about who we’re not and what we haven’t done: you’re a failure, you’re a loser, you’re too prideful, you’re too weak, and more. If we are honest, many of these things are true. Yes, we are broken sinners who need a tremendous amount of work. However, the gospel overpowers us with a different message. That message centers us within the reality that we are loved by God through Jesus Christ!

Take that message in daily, perhaps by reading Ephesians 2:1-10 Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on May 13, 2013 in Scripture reflections

 

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Comprehensive Praise: some notes from Psalm 150

11 May

Psalm 150 is a fitting, yet fascinating, conclusion to the book of psalms. The psalms are prayer-songs that were often used within the corporate, and private, worship of the people of Israel. Psalm 150 concludes the entire psalter with a comprehensive picture of worship. Here are some thoughts that leap out to me about worship from this psalm.

Worship is God-Centered
The beginning word of the psalm is simple: ‘Hallelujah’, which means, ‘Praise the Lord.’ The theme and tone of this psalm, something which sums up the entire book of psalms, is God-directed praise. This word, ‘hallelujah’, sets our compass to true north. Here at the beginning of this psalm, yet at the end of the entire psalter, we remember that God is the center-point and anchor for our lives and worship. As the often-used phrase says, we remember that worship is not about me but about God.

The Intersection of the Mundane and the Holy
Next, we are told to center our worship of God in God’s sanctuary or tabernacle and the heavens or the firmament of the sky. The psalmist reminds us that worship is simultaneously about us drawing near in a Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on May 11, 2013 in Scripture reflections, Worship

 

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You Belong in the Family (discussion questions)

22 Apr

Here are the discussion questions that accompany my message, “You Belong in the Family,” from this weekend at Eastbrook Church.

Discussion Questions:

1. When you hear the word, ‘family’, what do you think of?

2. This week, we are beginning a new series called “Family Portrait.” Whether on your own or with a group, begin your study by asking God to speak to you.

3. We are looking at some broad themes in the Scripture. To do this, we will explore a lot of Scripture. Read the following passages and consider what you think these verses are saying about the concept of ‘family’ and what it means to be a part of a family as Christians:

  • Matthew 12:46-50
  • 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
  • 1 Timothy 5:1-16

4. One of the key concepts in the New Testament related to family is our adoption by God as His children through the work of Jesus Christ. Read and reflect on what each of these Scripture passages says about adoption by God:

Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2013 in Eastbrook, Scripture reflections

 

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And Love Got Married

18 Apr

ThumbnailAs I have been blogging this week about love, I cannot help but come back to Jesus’ summation of the life with God as one of love. He said it this way:

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength…You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:28-34 (ESV)

Love is foundational to our life with God. When I began to fall in love with a young lady in college it changed my life. However, the relationship went to a completely different level when I understood that young lady also was in love with me. Knowing her love eventually took me to the place where I one day asked her to marry me, and my life with Kelly is probably the best thing that has happened to me outside of knowing Christ. This is similar to our life with God. It is one thing to want to know God. But everything changes when we understand just how great God’s love is for us. Knowing His love for us can take us to the place where our own lives become a response of love back to Him. Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on April 18, 2013 in Relationships, Scripture reflections

 

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