1/24/2024 0 Comments Living Out God's TruthIf we are serious about living out God's truth in our daily lives, we need to accept a challenge - take the opportunity. Which opportunity? Everyday opportunities. Everyday opportunities are sometimes everyday responsibilities. *The following are my Bible study notes taken from my pastor's sermon titled "Living Out God's Truth." Living Out God's TruthHow do we live out God's truth in everyday opportunities and responsibilities? Here's a list of ways. 1. Take the opportunity to give. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you are to do as well. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections need to be made when I come. When I arrive, whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 2. Take the opportunity to connect. Discipleship and love cannot happen unless we connect with one another. We can connect more deeply with one another if we get involved in small groups like a Sunday School Class or a Home Group. Connection sometimes requires sacrifice. Sometimes we have to give something up in order to connect well with others. We will certainly need to give up time. We need to commit to the time it takes to gather in a small group. We need to be active participants in our groups. Active participation might mean contributing financially to group needs. Active participation certainly means supporting one another in life circumstances, good and the not-so-good. We need to give our time and resources for the good of others. But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia; for I am going through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost. 1 Corinthians 16:5-8 3. Take the opportunity to evangelize. Has a door been opened for you to share the gospel? Look for opportunities to share Jesus with your family, friends, coworkers, ball teams, clubs, and in all your social circles. But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 4. Take the opportunity to encourage. We can encourage others in our church groups - our small groups, nursery workers, custodians at church and in our work places, teachers, pastors, friends going through tough times. We can encourage others in every area of our lives. Now if Timothy comes, see that he has no reason to be afraid while among you, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am. So do not look down on him, anyone. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers. Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly encouraged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has the opportunity. 1 Corinthians 16:10-12 5. Take the opportunity to be faithful. Let's be watchful in our hearts. Let's be watchful in our homes. Let's be watchful in our churches. Let's watch for the dangers of sin, pride, lust, deception, false teachers, and distractions. Let's ask ourselves this question: What is keeping me from doing God's work and living out God's truth? Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. All that you do must be done in love. Living Out God's Truth: Give, connect, evangelize, encourage, and be faithful. You may also like:
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It is an election year in the United States. We aren't going to cover politics today, but I think many of us would agree that election years can bring out the worst in people. It seems like everybody has an opinion and very few people can agree on much. One reason for all the dissension is that so many people form opinions based on what someone else claims rather than seeking the truth. With the general election still ten months away, we have a long time ahead to deal with all the discord and rest assured, there will be lots of it. Without claiming sides (because that's not what this post is about), let's think about what is really happening. I can summarize it with one word . . . confusion. When the truth is valued less than opinions, it creates confusion. Who is the author of confusion? If your answer is the devil, then you are correct. God is a God of truth and order. Satan is the father of lies and confusion. What happens when God's people must stand firm on the truth when faced with the enemies lies and confusion? When this happens, we find ourselves in the middle of the battle for truth against lies. We fight the battle of spiritual warfare. For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NASB) You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NASB) I mentioned that this year is an election year because I know that spiritual warfare we will face between now and November might be a fierce battle, but politics is not the only area that seems engulfed in spiritual warfare. There are many other areas. Anytime we are compelled to act in disobedience, we fight a spiritual battle. God's Word teaches us how to win. Let's look at what the Bible says about spiritual warfare. Bible Verses About Spiritual WarfareFor the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NASB) But what I am doing I will also continue to do, so that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:12-14 (NASB) Let's be careful. Let us not be fooled by false apostles, deceitful workers, or Satan himself who will try to make us think we are listening to God. If it contradicts Scripture, it is not of God. If it is not of God, then it is of Satan. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18 (NASB) No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NASB) One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Behold, I have given you authority to walk on snakes and scorpions, and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:19 (NASB) You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NASB) Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NASB) These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NASB) But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NASB) That is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (NASB) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10 (NASB) There are many more Bible verses about spiritual warfare in the Scriptures. If you would like to do more research on this topic, try online resources such as Bible Gateway (one of my favorite resources). You can also try out the Blue Letter Bible. I am new to the Blue Letter Bible but I already love many features there. Another resource is the YouVersion Bible App. In fact, you'll find another list of Bible verses about spiritual warfare on the YouVersion Bible App here. It's going to be a long year, but if we are careful to measure everything we see, hear, and read against the truths of Scripture, we will make good decisions and defeat the enemy and his schemes to turn us against God and each other. You may also like:
1/18/2024 0 Comments Resurrected BodiesIn my last post, Why the Resurrection Matters, I told you the reason we are already talking about the Resurrection. My pastors are preaching on the subject and I'm sharing their wisdom with you. *The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled Resurrected Bodies. Resurrected BodiesIn my post, Whey the Resurrection Matters, we were challenged to expect God to move in 2024. In this post, we are challenged more specifically to expect God to move in our own lives. God is working and moving right now. Let's pray for God to show us how He is working so we can join Him in His work now. Then, we the time has come, we will be raised again to new life when our work here on this earth is done. But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 1 Corinthians 15:35-37 (NASB) How Are Our Bodies Raised?When we are raised to new life, we will have a transformed body. Think of an apple. An apple was once a seed. After a season of transformation, the seed grows and develops into an apple. Our resurrected bodies will be unique. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 1 Corinthians 15:38 (NASB) Our first bodies, our earthly bodies are like the first Adam, the Adam we know from Genesis. Our resurrected bodies, our second bodies, will be like that of the Second Adam, raised as Jesus Christ was raised. Right now, we are perishable. We are all in different stages of the process of dying. But take heart! Our resurrected bodies will not wear down or experience the process of dying. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body. 1 Corinthians 15:39-42 (NASB) Our current earthly bodies sometimes bring about dishonor, sin, and shame. Our resurrected bodies will be raised in power, no longer weak or limited. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written: “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” The last Adam was a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly one, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. 1 Corinthians 15:43-49 Let's look forward to the day when we are raised to new life and our desire to sin is taken away. When Will Our Bodies Be Raised?When will our bodies be raised? We will be raised when Jesus comes back. Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 If Jesus returns for His people today, are you ready? If you aren't sure, go here to learn more about how you can know Jesus personally. What am I going to do until Jesus comes back? I'm going to do what God has told us through Paul's letter to the Corinthians in verse 58. Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Until God calls me home through earthly death or until Jesus comes back at the sound of the trumpet, I will pray for God to make me firmly planted in my faith, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that my labor is not in vain. Will you join me on this journey? Do you know Jesus today? You may also like:
1/18/2024 0 Comments Why the Resurrection MattersWhy are we already talking about the resurrection when Easter is still months away, you might ask? We are talking about the resurrection because my church pastors are doing a series on it and I love sharing their wisdom with you. On the first Sunday of the new year, the sermon title was Why the Resurrection Matters. The resurrection matters a lot and here's why. *The following are my Bible Study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled Why the Resurrection Matters. Why the Resurrection MattersThe Scripture text for the lesson Why the Resurrection Matters is 1 Corinthians 15:12-34. Let's start the new year off with a positive expectation. Expect God to move in 2024, and then let's join Him in that movement. Instead of asking, "What am I going to do in 2024," let's ask, "What is God going to do in 2024?" The church at Corinth wanted to know if the resurrection of the dead is real. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17 that if Jesus has not been raised, then our faith is useless. Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 If there is no resurrection of the dead, there is tragedy. The Tragedy of No ResurrectionNo resurrection of the dead would be a tragedy for so many reasons. Without the resurrection . . . 1. Our faith is in vain. 2. Preaching is in vain. 3. We are misrepresenting God. Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 1 Corinthians 15:15 4. We are still in our sin. For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:16-17 5. Faith in Jesus has no useful result. 6. Loved ones who have passed away are gone forever. 7. We have no hope. 8. We have no joy. 9. We have no salvation. 10. If the only hope we have is here on this earth, then we are a people to be pitied. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:18-19 Thank the Lord for verse 20! But Jesus! The Power of the ResurrectionPaul was writing the church at Corinth with a spirit of undeniable truth because he had personally experienced an encounter with Jesus. Paul had no reason to make up a false story. In fact, he was eventually killed for it. Paul's encounter with Jesus was real, not a lie. Paul had experienced something, a truth that had to be told. Before Paul's encounter with Jesus, he had hated Him. Paul had hated Jesus. He had actively participated in the persecution of Jesus' followers, but his encounter with Jesus changed everything. Paul knew that Jesus was resurrected and there was (and IS) power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 Through Jesus came life! Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so shall we! The Personal Impact of the ResurrectionBecause of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have an active faith and we learn from truthful preaching. As believers in the resurrection, we represent God truthfully. We are no longer bound by our sin. Our faith produces fruitful results. Our loved ones in Jesus who have passed away are not lost forever. They are alive! We have hope, joy, and salvation. We are not a people to be pitied. We are a people loved by a living God. For otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? Why are we also in danger every hour? I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily. If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Sober up morally and stop sinning, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. What a tragedy it is to not know Jesus. Is the resurrection of Jesus personal to you? If you have not experienced the saving power of Jesus, then I invite you to learn more about how you can know Jesus personally here. If you are a believer, don't be quiet about it! Tell somebody. Tell a lot of people. Who should you tell today? Expect God to move!Pin this post so others can also learn why the resurrection of Jesus matters! You may also like:
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AuthorWelcome to Abundant Family Living. I'm Tina. I write about faith and family and I offer products I think you will love. Learn more about me here. I hope you'll join me here often and I invite you to visit my other websites as well: Archives
February 2024
CategoriesAll Giving Living Out God's Truth Spiritual Warfare The Resurrection Welcome |