Category: Thanksgiving

He Didn’t Intend to Die That Day..

Two caskets. One, a close friend, the other a brother-in-law. Their stories were so different, their lives both lived in opposite directions.  The deaths  hit us hard. Not because we’re immune to the real life situations that pass us by, but because the deaths were too soon–both of these men still had time to live. (From a human perspective). One had surgery, didn’t heal properly, got pneumonia, and one catastrophe after another occurred, and he closed his eyes in death. The other had surgery, went to a rehab facility, caught a respiratory infection which didn’t heal, and eventually was sustained by life-support. He chose to be taken off, and two minutes later was in the presence of the Lord whom he loved.

We juggled schedules in order to pay our last respects to both of these men whom we had loved. And at each casket the only question we cared about was their relationship to the One who had died in order that they could live eternally with Him. Because, in the end, that’s all that really matters. The one didn’t go to heaven because he was a good citizen, had raised children who are an asset to their communities, and had served faithfully those who needed him. He went because years ago he had heard the message of salvation, knew he was a sinner who had a debt of sin that nothing could remove except the blood of Jesus–and accepted that as Truth. The other had led a life of sin for many, many years, and would have faced an eternity in hell, but he saw in the lives of those with whom he lived a peace, and he wanted that same peace for himself. He went to church, heard the gospel message preached, and gave his life to Christ. They both got it.

Whether you believe in heaven or hell, Jesus as the Son of God, Jesus as the only way to heaven, doesn’t change the truth one bit. All that matters is that it is Truth, and your believing or not believing it doesn’t change the fact that it is. What it will change is where you spend your time when you close your eyes in death. If you’re reading this, you still have time to know that you know–or choose not to. Jesus won’t force you to accept His free gift, but it’s yours for the taking if you do.

How about a great sermon on who is YOUR Jesus? Get your notebook, a good chair, some cool or hot drink, and sit back, ready to listen to the sermon for yesterday, April 30, 2017, preached by Jonathan Falwell at Thomas Road Baptist Church. Click on http://www.trbc.org/sermon-archive and select the current sermon. Join in the singing as it lifts up the name of the Lord! After the service is over, scroll down to the study notes and see how much you absorbed, and check the sermon against your own belief in Jesus! Do you have a Biblical view of His Deity, or have you let unsound doctrine get you confused? Don’t let an unplanned death keep you out of heaven–Jesus has rooms prepared just for you!

Not My Jesus: The World’s View of Jesus                                                                                                                      Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Open:

Can you think of a time you became involved in something because you didn’t have all the true facts about the situation? Write your experience in your notebook, or if you’re with a group of friends, would you share?

Today the world has a very confused idea of who Jesus Christ really is, and why He lived. We must be careful in conversation that we are not agreeing with a statement someone is making about Him until we know that their idea of Jesus is in line with the word of God. As we saw last week, no serious historian denies that Jesus actually lived, but few believe Him to be the Son of God. This week we continue the new series in which we determine that our view of Jesus not only must be true, we must know why it’s true.

Focal Passages: Matthew 16:1-17.

Think About or Discuss:

The World is always looking for a sign

  1. Read Matt. 16:1-4. Had these scribes and Pharisees been following Jesus as He had been performing miracles? If so, what was the real reason for their statement in verse 1?
  2. What did Jesus say would be the evidence of His claim that He was the Messiah? If they had really wanted to believe, what would they have done?
  3. How is that like people today who beg God for a miracle (for the life, health, etc. of someone perhaps), saying they will then “believe”? Can you discuss what comes to mind?

There are signs from above and signs from below

  1. In verses 5-12, what were the disciples missing? What had they seen—probably nearly every day—while they had been with Jesus?
  2. Jesus still needed to warn them to be careful not to believe false doctrine. Why was it necessary for Him to counsel them to not to be swayed by error?
  3. Taking the world religions individually, why did the Jews not accept Jesus as the Messiah the prophets had written of? Islam denies Jesus’ deity; whose word are they ignoring? They deny the crucifixion: last week, how many witnesses saw Jesus alive after the crucifixion? Hinduism embraces thousands of gods; can you think of Jesus’ own words that would refute this doctrine? Buddhism also denies He is the Son of God. Atheists For Christ, like Islam, deny the crucifixion. How then, do they think they can be saved? (If you need to, look at the end!)
  4. Why do we need to be so diligent to teach the next generation there is only One Way? Do you know what the public school system is teaching the children?

The greatest revelation of who Jesus Is? Himself!

  1. In verses 13-17, what had Jesus asked His disciples? Who revealed this to Peter?
  2. If you were asked by anyone who He is, what would you say? What evidence do you have? (Hopefully, a changed life!)

Close:

Because the world does not have a correct view of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scripture, it has gone crazy making up its own rules concerning sinful lifestyles. It has become vital that we know without error the Biblical guidelines God has set. Jesus knew the disciples were going to face “wolves” among the believers, and warned them in our focal passage to guard against accepting people or beliefs at face value. Now, two thousand years later, we are in an even more dangerous position, as we see our values taken away. We are not allowed to have an opinion that goes against society, and are  in danger of “hate crimes” if we label Biblical sin as sin. Paul warned believers in Eph. 4:14 to not be carried away by every “wind of doctrine,” and in both letters to Timothy, as well as Titus, he warns us to hold fast to sound doctrine—that men, in fact, will come to hate it. We see this today all around the world. Doctrine—a scary word to many—is simply the set of principles God has established as guidelines so that His people may strive to live holy, sanctified lives. Paul writes in 1 Thess.  4:3, “For this is the will of God for you, your sanctification!”  Let us go forward toward that goal, reaching out in love to the many who have an inaccurate view of Him!

Jews: They expected someone who would rise as a military leader. Islam: Jesus Himself stated He and the Father are One (John 10:30); also, John 1:1-5; and denying the resurrection, they ignore the 515+ people who saw Jesus alive. Hinduism: Jesus stated, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man comes to the Father except by Me” (John 14:6).  Atheists for Christ also ignore the witnesses who saw Jesus after the resurrection; they believe their good works will get them to heaven.

 

 

HAPPILY EVER AFTER…

 

 

 

 

 

It was a book I could hardly put down. Each chapter ended with such a sense of standing on the edge of a cliff that you just HAD to keep going! When something caused me to be disciplined enough to actually lay it down, the plot would be going through my head as I did the duties that were required of me while being on auto-pilot. Oh, man! I just wanted to see what the next page had… but, of course, that didn’t work, because I kept turning the page after that one. Even at bedtime, during my ritual reading for maybe twenty minutes, I found my eyes shutting, yet still trying to see what lay ahead. Finally, when my brain realized I wasn’t comprehending the last sentence, I would lay it down, go to sleep, and know I had to wait for tomorrow.

Finally I was getting through it. I had no idea how it was going to turn out–of course there were “good guys” and “bad guys” and intrigue, but how was it going to end? I didn’t know. All I knew was that every other book by this author had been fantastic.

I was nearly done. As I turned the last page, I read the last couple of sentences. WHAT?????? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I felt like I was falling off that cliff and there were no nets below! If I hadn’t had the self-control to realize I would break something (probably only something expensive, as my aim is lousy), I would have thrown the book across the room–or across the state if I could have! (No, I’m not telling you what it was–you’ll have to find me, then I will). There just has to be a serial, I reasoned, so I headed for the computer to (of course) Google. “Is there a sequel to…..”? Nothing. “List of books by….” Nothing that I could see different, or that looked like the 2nd of a trilogy or set. There was one I didn’t recognize; it had another title and didn’t look like what I wanted but I still ordered it. Frustration was rampant. Have you been there, done that? You want to know the end, but it’s not out yet. You want to know if they live happily ever after, but it’s expected to come out at Christmas. Shucks, if you’re like me, you’d have to read the first one again, just to remember why you were waiting.

I will say, on behalf of the author who has remained nameless, that when the other book came, it was the same “can’t put it down” situation, and when I finished (and this is very rare), I turned back to page one and read it again. Stupendous. But this time I knew how it was going to end. I still haven’t found a sequel to the other one…

How often have you cheated and gone to the end, just so the stress level is alleviated as you read? The older I get, the more I do that. Eliminating stress has become my mantra as I age. But there are times when reading the ending is something that brings joy!

You think that would ruin it for you? Look at it this way: as Moses penned the books that begin the Bible, he didn’t have the benefit of the prophets. As the prophets wrote their lengthy prophecies, they did not know the fulfillment. As Jesus said in Matthew 13:17, they longed to be able to see what the people around Him were hearing and seeing, but couldn’t. And think of the New Testament, those who were writing it did not have the benefit of reading the end of the book to know how it was going to turn out. And although Jesus told them what to expect, it took the crucifixion to bring it all into focus.

Now is a great time to get your Bible, a notebook to make notes so you can see your progress as you study the sermons, and a comfortable chair. If you want some coffee or Coke, or if you have a friend, get ready to click on the sermon preached at Thomas Road Baptist Church Easter Sunday, April 16, and prepare to worship the Lord with the congregation at TRBC. Click on http://www.trbc.org/service-archive, and click on the Easter service. Take your time to work through the questions below, and enjoy the fact that you know how everything ends! Glorify God as you worship!

Outsiders: Truly He Is The Son of God                                                                                                                                                                           Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Open:

Sometimes it takes more than one circumstance to finally “connect the dots.” Can you think of an instance when this has been the case for you? Write it in your notebook unless you have a chance to discuss it with a friend.

This week we finish looking at four people who were personally affected by the events surrounding the crucifixion, and their reaction to Jesus Christ. The centurion, who—no doubt–had been involved from the night of the arrest to the last breath taken by Jesus, had the light of understanding hit him as he watched Jesus die. As all the dots began to be connected, this man, intimately involved in the crucifixion, made a profound statement that has gone into the very Word of God: “Truly this was (is) the Son of God!”

Focal Passages: Mark 15:20-39; Mark 16:1-7.

Think About or Discuss:

The Prologue

  1. Looking back at the events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, one’s mind finds it hard to cope with the series of situations that ended in such an inhumane way. What seems to have been the beginning of this ending (from a human view point)?
  2. As the jealousy among the Jewish religious leaders escalated, what did they do next?
  3. They plotted how best to get Jesus alone to kill him; who played into their hands? What do you think the other disciples would have done if they had realized Judas was about to betray Jesus (speculation)?
  4. What happened when Judas told the Jews where they could find Jesus? Who all came to the garden the night Jesus was praying? About how many came, and what was their intention?

The Terrible Hours

  1. The Roman military came to arrest Jesus. Who was probably one of the main authorities, one who would give orders, and be on hand throughout the following day? What events did he see occur in the Garden of Gethsemane?
  2. When Jesus’ “case” went from the religious leaders to the governing authorities, how did they react? How did they keep “passing the buck”?
  3. What happened next?
  4. As Pilate ordered the crucifixion, who probably had to carry it out?
  5. What did Scripture predict the Messiah would do (Isaiah 53:7)?

The Death

  1. Who, more than likely, was in charge of the order to nail Jesus to the tree?
  2. As he watched the events now out of his hands, what did he see happen before his eyes?
  3. How did all those events affect him? What were his words?

The Victory!

Close:

As believers, we know the victory that was just around the corner! The hurt, pain, sense of loss, despair—and so much more—that the disciples and followers of Jesus went through during those three days can only be speculated about. We, on the other hand, have read “the end of the story,” and know that Sunday morning the tomb Joseph gave to the family of Jesus was empty! Tradition has it that the stone was guarded by the same centurion who had doubtless overseen the soldiers in the garden the night of His arrest, then in charge of those who carried out the crucifixion on Friday, and was afterward given charge to guard the tomb. If so, he could have seen the sight of the angel rolling the stone away, giving the guards on duty a shock so great they fainted. All we know for sure is that He came out of the tomb and appeared to the women, to the disciples, and before ascending into heaven, more than five hundred or more people. Seeing Him caused them to believe, and change the world. And He is still changing it today!

Which group do you belong in? Those who are familiar with the events of the crucifixion and have had your life changed because of it, or the group of those who know about it, but have no interest in a changed life? It’s a choice that must be made this side of eternity. One rich man in hell begged Abraham—across a chasm—to send someone to tell his family that hell is real, only to be told it was too late (Luke 16:19-31). Don’t wait—if God is speaking to your heart, answer Him today!

Photo Copyright by Sandra Day

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God Gave YOU A Story!

I sat quietly in the circle, hoping no one would notice me, or think about why I hadn’t spoken out. Me–the extrovert who gets into an elevator and says “Now the reason I’ve called this meeting,..” The one with the bling, who loves color, jewelry that is too heavy to wear–the one who is so much like the mother I was so ashamed of! Yeah, that one. In this instance, the quiet one. The one who wasn’t going to speak.

Circumstances compel us to act in certain ways at certain times, did you know that? You may be the life of the party when there’s no pressure, but when everyone is listening–and assessing what is being said in comparison to how they see you live on a daily basis–then you become someone else. Perhaps someone meek. Someone quiet. That was me in this circle.

It had been such a fun morning! We had been invited for brunch at the home of one of those “Southern Living” houses–you know the kind, where the hostess takes things you’ve thrown out, puts a vine around it, and everyone dies for the décor. Where she looks like she’s spent seven weeks cooking for the group of friends, and has burned nothing (I can’t relate. When I turn on the oven or stove top, my smoke alarm beeps just out of habit). Where you can put on a white glove and run your finger around the bottom of her commodes (multi-bathrooms, not several in one) and it still comes up white. Mine would be … well, we won’t go there.

The reason for the celebration? A new baby? A shower? An engagement party? No. New car, new house, new job? Nope. Someone who had been on “skid row” for years had come to the Lord (the Christianese is “being saved”) for salvation, and it was a happy time for all of us who had prayed for so long that they repent of their sins and put their hand in the Hand of the One who holds all things together. It was one of those times, the Bible says, when the angels in heaven rejoice!

Until. The hostess thought it would be a great witness to go around the room and tell our particular story of how we came to ask the Lord to save us. The reasoning was that there would be experiences that could be pulled upon when crises (plural) hit, and that even though we do go through rough times, the “righteous falls seven times but gets back up.” (Proverbs 24:16.)

I sat like a stone, listening. Joe had been on drugs, alcohol–the whole street scene. His wife had gone to church, gotten saved, and begged him to come. Long hair, camouflage gear, hiking boots, dirty, smelly, he decided to get her off his back so he would go with her–ONE time. Where did they sit? The front row. Can you imagine the ones sitting around them, who had to hold hankies to their noses for the hour? But he listened. He got saved. He actually went on to seminary and became a pastor!  Wow–what a testimony!

Then someone told of Jennifer: a young girl who was saved, but had prayed hard that God would use her to impact her friends. Her family was involved in an accident, hit by a truck at over 80 mph, and she was thought to be dead. She has now been witnessing with a boldness of the Apostle Paul for almost ten years! What encouragement! Tons of exciting testimonies.

When it came to the point where people were winding down, everyone looked at me. Anyone who was my age, who loves to dress “sassy” (as my friends say), who never holds back–why certainly I would have a story of conversion that would go off the charts. But I didn’t. I sat there, knowing God would not bless something that was exaggerated, made up, was just a good story, or anything but the basic truth. And then it hit me: I seldom share my story because it is not flamboyant, interesting, or awe-inspiring! Suddenly, I realized, I had been blessed with the sweetest story of all.

I was raised in a home where my earliest (VERY earliest) memories were of my mom standing on the platform with her guitar singing the old “Stamps Baxter” songs (Google them). This was the guitar that I later tried to see if the broom handle would fit in that “S” figure on the top. It didn’t. She cried so hard that she couldn’t even discipline me, but made my dad do it when he got home and she was still crying. I still have the guitar but she’s playing a harp in heaven and singing like an angel. She sang at funerals, weddings, wherever the Lord moved her. She didn’t have a great voice, but she loved Him with her whole heart.

Whenever we ate, there was always grace. Daddy prayed at breakfast, Mother prayed at  supper. We went to every church service, helped with every need we could afford (which wasn’t many), and the church was our social life. You see, at that time, in their history, there were two types of people: the ones whose life revolved around the church, and the rest. Ours revolved around the church. I helped in the nursery from the time I could hold a baby, started playing the piano at thirteen (with tons of mistakes), and talked to the Lord. Oh, I didn’t have my theology correct: I remember wishing on the first star at night: as soon as I saw it, I would ponder all I knew, what all I wanted. Eventually my “wish” was always the same: that everyone in the world be saved. How old was I? Seven, maybe? Eight? But somehow at that young age, I knew in my heart that if they were, there would be “peace on earth.”

I never remember a time when I didn’t believe with my whole heart that God was in His heaven, and all was right with the world. Eventually I realized He had sent His only Son to die for those of us who just couldn’t get it right–but we still had to pay for our sins. So what did He do? He paid them for us! And I believed that–and asked Him into my heart. Did I rebel? You bet. Later–decades later–I couldn’t stand responsibilities I had brought on myself, and decided to try life the world’s way. THAT should have been my testimony–but that wouldn’t be the story of my conversion but of my backsliding. No, I couldn’t do that. Afterwards, when I had returned to Him, I could only look back  and know that, although I had tried the sinful pleasures of the world for a season, I had never not believed He was my savior. Even when I was faithless, He was faithful.

So I started my story: my being raised in a Christian home, knowing from my earliest memories that God was my Savior, being baptized, and walking with Him. So very unlike the other, grandiose stories that were being told! But I realized, as I told it, it would be like talking today–in the midst of a world that has gone haywire with divorces, mixed marriages, and living together without commitments,–of being born and growing up in a home with the two parents who conceived you, and raised you to adulthood; a blessing that is so extraordinary today as to be abnormal. It is my story, and I need to be thanking God for the simplicity of it, and the blessings in it, rather than focusing on the lack of drama.

Is that you? Are you rather embarrassed because your story isn’t flamboyant? Full of drama? Thank the Lord for His grace toward you! Now take your story and bless someone else with it. Look for the sermon preached at Thomas Road Baptist Church on Sunday, March 12, and settle in for a time of worship and praise! After you’ve heard the sermon, go to the study notes below, and ponder a little deeper into ways you can be a witness to those you know who need the Lord. If you have a friend, ask them to join you, and study and discuss it together. But get your notebook, something warm to drink on this cold day, and click on http://www.trbc.org/sermon; click on “Story Taker,” and give God your week!

Storytellers: “Story Takers”                                                                                                                                                                                       Matt Matt Willmington

Open:

Was there an exciting story or piece of information (ball game, book, movie, etc.) that you shared with someone this week? Did you think to examine why you did this?

Last week we looked at one of the stories in the New Testament, applying principles to help us share the story of our salvation with people we meet. Today we are going to look at exactly what that story should look like, and where we can share it. If you are with friends, discuss the study; if you are alone, get your notebook and keep a record of your answers, so that you can see growth in your life as you walk with Him!

Focal Passage: Matthew 9:1-13, Mark 2:1-17

Think About or Discuss:

What Is the Story? There are usually both “bad” parts and “good” parts in any story.

  • What is the best part of God’s story? (John 3:16) He loves you!
  • What is bad about your story? (Rom. 3:10, 23) You deserve punishment.
  • What did God do for you? (1 Pet. 3:18) Jesus paid it all!
  • What does He offer you? (Rom. 10:13, Eph. 2:8, 9) The free gift of salvation.
  • What is God’s promise? (Rom. 8:38,39) Eternal life with Him.

TAKE PEOPLE TO JESUS

  1. Read Mark 2:1-12. What were some of the anxieties these four friends had for their paralytic comrade? What was their major concern?
  2. Why were they determined to get him to Jesus?
  3. Are you so concerned about your friends, that you will take them where they can hear the gospel? If it’s not your responsibility, whose is it?

TAKE JESUS TO PEOPLE

  1. Read Matt. 9:9-13 and Luke 5:28-29. What are several reasons that made Jesus’ action of calling Matthew uncommon?
  2. What were three immediate responses of Matthew to Jesus’ call? What was courageous about him calling his “IRS” friends?
  3. If you knew your story would bring this result so quickly, would you run to tell it to everyone?

TAKE JESUS’ BURDEN

  1. Read Matt. 9:35-38. What is your main concern when meeting a friend whom you feel is not saved? Do you stay away from the subject of eternity? What are some things Jesus felt and some things He did?
  2. What are some things you can do for unsaved friends?       

ACTION  APPLICATIONS:

  1. Only you know if you have been changed by God. If you have, then realize your story is simple: 1) God loves you; 2) You were a sinner who deserved to be punished; 3) Jesus paid your sin debt with His death on the cross; 4) You have been given full pardon for your sins the moment you ask Him to save you; 5) You will spend eternity with Him!
  2. Be committed to having a team of friends pray for lost loved ones or those you are burdened for, and work to bring them to where they can hear the gospel; know God wants them to be saved, and praise Him for any opportunity;
  3. Invite friends to your home for a meal at a time when other Christians will be there; dig deep to find courage to be hospitable, despite what others may say;
  4. Serve those who are in need at every opportunity! Have compassion on the lost, and pray that God will surround those you have a burden for with Godly people.
  5. Share your story at every opportunity!

Close:

Our story is unique: it is ours, and no one else will have the same experience. Does it bother you that you can’t think of a time, a moment, or an instance when you became a child of God? Perhaps that was not meant to be your story but someone else’s! Were you changed in some way? Probably. It is hard to get used to witnessing, but recent statistics show that even in one’s home, only about 3% of children and grandchildren know the testimony of their parents. Does that convict you? That would be a great place to begin telling your story! The only thing you will take to heaven are the souls whom you lead to Jesus Christ. Don’t you want those to be your family, friends or your circle of influence? Pray diligently that God would multiply your faith this year, and burden you with two or three that you can pray persistently for, with heartfelt compassion and love. You cannot save them, but you can introduce them to the Savior.

Memory Verse: Matt. 9:38: “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

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© Doreen Salcher | Dreamstime Stock Photos

JUST TELL THE STORY!

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The mess hall was a chaos of sweaty, smelly bodies, most having just ridden for hours in the field, in ninety-degree heat. Riding on the hard seats in trucks or Humvees is not conducive to jovial attitudes, and the chow hall didn’t serve most men’s idea of a great lunch. Still, appetites were ready to eat, since almost everyone had been awakened at 4:30 a.m., and breakfast had seemed an eternity ago. The guys kept telling themselves OCS was worth this.

The men, caps off their heads, headed for the nearest tables for the soldiers. The tables with the officers were nearby. There were few standing rules, but one reminded the guys of their moms: eat everything on your plate.

This particular day, Candidate Day was feeling “ornery.” A good synonym is feeling like making trouble. Not a great thing to do in the military. As he ate, he looked at the spinach provided (why had he put that on his plate, he asked himself), knowing he had to gag it down, although he hated it. He held his nose so the taste would be minimal, and swallowed the lump in two huge bites. Then, taking his napkin, he wadded it up into a small mound, placing it over the area where the spinach had been. He made sure the napkin had a small point in the center. Yes, it was all very well planned. Yes, he knew he was about to get in trouble. Yes, he weighed the cost. And decided it would be worth it.

In a few minutes his lunch was eaten, his tray ready to be carried out. As he passed the table where the officers sat, one cut his eyes sharply to the tray Day carried and barked, “DAY!” Candidate Day stopped and faced the officer. “Sir, Yessir!” he answered, eyes straight ahead, head erect. “Raise the napkin!” the office yelled. “Sir, yessir!” Day replied, and proceeded to lift the napkin. Noting the absence of food underneath the napkin, the officer turned beet red as anger and embarrassment shook him, especially in front of the other officers. “DAY! You did that on purpose, didn’t you?!” Day replied, “Sir, yessir!” Eyes straight, head erect.

“Outside!! Give me 25 push ups!” the officer yelled. Candidate Day was a good soldier: “Sir, yessir!” he replied, and went out to do his push-ups. To this day, many decades later, he still gets an unholy pleasure out of telling the story, complete with his punishment.

We all have favorite stories that have been handed down through the generations of our families, don’t we? Some have been embellished, some are straight truth (like the one above!). We love stories from the time Mom or Grandma opens bedtime with “Once upon a time,” and never grow tired of them.

We’re beginning a new series at Thomas Road, only three weeks long, but the truth is, we all have a story to tell. Click on http://www.trbc.org/sermon and select the Storytellers, from March 5, 2017. Listen as Jonathan Falwell brings to life the healing of the blind man, and see him in your imagination as he–who was blind from birth–received his sight. Can you even begin to experience the wonder as he looked at clouds, grass, trees, people??? What an amazing story! Grab your notebook for thoughts, a good drink, and friends if you’d like to share the study below. Listen to the service and then dig deep to get to the points in the sermon, finding out that you, too, have a story to share!

Storytellers: The Story of Sight                                                                                            March 5, 2017

Jonathan Falwell

Open:

Nearly everyone has a favorite story that they love to share, whether it’s for encouragement, humor or pure enjoyment. Can you think of a much-loved story? Jot it in your notebook if you are not in a group.

For three weeks, we are going to look at some of the true stories that were written about Jesus’ ministry, trying to identify the characteristics of the storyteller, and decide what points he was trying to make as he re-told the events. This week we will look at the story of Jesus as He restores sight to a man blind from birth.

Focal Passage: John 9:1-2

Think About or Discuss:

The Beginning of a Story

  1. Read John 9:1-3. What were some of the main points about the man who had been born blind? Write down all you can think of.
  2. Did the man need faith to obey the instructions of Jesus? Why or why not? (For a parallel passage to study, take a few moments to read 2 Kings 5:9-12, and see the opposite reaction of someone who wanted to be healedI.)

The Power of a Story

  1. Read verses 6-9. What were some of the reasons this man felt an urgency to assure people that he was the one who had been healed?
  2. If this had been you, what would have been your reaction or feelings?

The Faith of a Storyteller

  1. Read verses 10-11. Why was he able to be convincing as he told of the experience with Jesus?
  2. Which was his greater determination, to give Jesus the credit for healing him, or be afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do to him? Why?

The Courage of a Storyteller

  1. Read verses 15, 25-26. Can you understand his frustration when the Jews kept interrogating him with the same questions over and over? Why?
  2. Read verses 18-20. What had his parents done? Why had they lacked courage?

The Importance of a Storyteller

  1. Read verse 4. What did Jesus say your important job is? Why? What is your story? Are you excited to tell it—as the blind man—or are you fearful of repercussions fom external sources, as his parents were?       

ACTION  APPLICATIONS:

  1. Decide if you have a story. If you have been granted the gift of salvation, you have something to tell the world;
  2. Be committed to sharing your story at each and every opportunity;
  3. Pray each day that God would bring someone to you who needs to hear your story;
  4. Share your story even though you may experience sarcasm, doubt or skepticism!

Close:

We all have a favorite part of some movie—a line or two that perhaps defines the entire storyline for us. In “Up Close and Personal,” a mentored journalist eventually eclipses her teacher, ending with a final scene where she accepts an award with words dedicated to his memory: “He told me to ‘just tell the story.’” Whenever life throws a curve ball, those words come to mind: just tell the story. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that if “any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things become new.” A new life, a new creation, old things passed away—what more could a good story have as a plot? If you have been saved, you have the story inside you, waiting for every opportunity to share it with someone who needs it. Pray this week that God would guide you to that person!

Memory Verse: John 9:39: For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

A NEW YEAR, A NEW WALK, A NEW YOU!

Fireworks display with several different colored fireworks exploding in the sky.

She pointed to herself, and remarked, “There’s a SKINNY in here somewhere, and I’m going to find her!” I had to laugh at my friend. It was this morning, January 1, 2017, and a day in which we all traditionally start our New Year’s resolutions! I have learned the hard way not to stress myself–I’m not going to keep them more than 2 days! It’s much easier to take one of my favorite verses from Scripture out of context and relax in the words, “Bodily exercise profits little!” (1 Tim. 4:8–like I said, taken out of context.) But I still felt slightly victorious, as I had decided , back before Thanksgiving, to get up in the mornings in time to walk, at least three days per week–and if you knew me well, you would know I totally despise anything remotely connected to exercise. The fact that I am now going on 8 weeks is nothing short of a miracle. No, it is not a habit–even after three times a week for eight weeks: every stinking step, every drive to the place where I walk, is DISCIPLINE. Let’s make sure we understand there’s a big difference.

There are probably more decisions to lose weight, to be nice, to stop spending so much money, to exercise, or…. fill in the blank… on this day than any other day of the year. Did you make a resolution? Are you going to keep it?

The only one I’m faithful about (let’s wait awhile before we call the walking “faithful”) is my desire to read my Bible each year, or, depending on what I’m focused on, perhaps I may spread it out for two years. I love to study it with a goal in mind: this past two years I read it with the intention to find out why the apostles ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. I was amazed, as I went back through the OT, at how few times there are actual prayers in the Scriptures. Nehemiah prayed often, Solomon prayed often, but David took the prize. If ever you want to know how to pray, read the Psalms. His prayers are agonizing, beautiful, full of repentance, fruit, … they cover almost all topics. By having a goal, it keeps my mind much more focused as I read. It is not intended as a “pat me on the back,” but just a suggestion that there are ways to read it that will keep you concentrating on what you read. Do you often realize your mind has wandered? Then go back and re-read the paragraph. Once you do it often enough, you will keep your concentration better.

In today’s sermon, Jonathan Falwell quoted some amazing facts: facts that should make us sick to our stomachs, since most of us are dealing with a schedule so full that we don’t have “time” to do much for Christ except check off our to-do list on Sunday that we have attended church. As you listen to the sermon, prepare yourself for the statistics that say the average person checks their Smart Phone 150 times per day (someone in my family–not in this house–does that much in 2 hours, I kid you not!) Again, the average person watches tv approximately 3.6 hours per day. Does that make you gag? Garbage in, garbage out, right? Facebook racks up about 1 1/4 hours per day. We are now at approximately seven hours. When do people sleep, eat, work? Does God get the leftovers?

How would you feel if you were God, and you got the time that you give Him? Would you wonder at the depth of your love? Would you question whether He really is first in your life? Let us be sure we hunger and thirst after righteous, and seek Him—He will fulfill our needs if we put Him first, and this day is a great time to start off for the year!

If you haven’t heard the sermon preached at Thomas Road Baptist Church for Sunday, January 1, 2017, click on the link http://www.trbc.org/sermons and then click on the play button. Be sure you have your notebook, something hot to drink, and if someone can join you, make it a good discussion time! Enjoy the song service if you have time, but most of all, seek the Lord with your whole heart, and lean on Him for strength this year!

Open:

A new year! As you think of the coming months, what’s on your calendar? You probably know some of the challenges you are going to face—others may take you by surprise. How prepared do you feel to face the next twelve months?

When we consider the beginning of a new year, we generally think of things in our own life or family that we would like to change. We decide January 1 is a good day to start, so we make a “resolution” to begin a new way of eating, exercising, habits, or whatever it is we feel needs to be improved. As a Christian, this is a great time to make a commitment to read the Scripture every day and see how our lives reflect the standards Jesus has set for us. Do we “hunger and thirst” after righteousness? Do we desire a closer walk with Him more than we desire anything else? Do we want to “seek first the Kingdom of God”? Today is a good day to start, giving yourself a full year to draw nearer to Him, and you will find the “new walk” will produce a “new you”!

Focal Passages: Ephesians 4:17-32

Discuss:

A New Walk

  1. Read verses 17-19. Can you think of examples showing how this reflects the world we live in today?
  2. What do you consider your number one problem? Did you say “busyness”? Why is that a problem? Is boredom a problem?
  3. Be honest: when is your devotional life happening? If you are involved with your television, electronics, or listening to music for over 5 hours each day, do you discipline yourself to find time for God—hopefully first?
  4. Read verse 24. What does God expect of you? If you call yourself a Christian, do you intentionally seek a relationship with Him, or do you just hope it will happen at some point during the day?

Here are a list of commitments to make for this new year:

  1. Commit to make room in your schedule and your life for God.
  2. Commit to make time for your family—apart from movies, tv, or video games.
  3. Commit to make time for others, to serve and help them, perhaps even disciple them.

  A New You

  1. If you spend quality time dieting or exercising this new year, what would you expect to happen? How is that analogous to exercising your spirit with God’s word and serving Him?
  2. Who should benefit from your new focus if you truly make Him first in your life?
  3. In verses 21-32, what are some things that you should see go out of your life? What should replace them?

Here are a list of commitments for A New You:                                                               a. A commitment to live right (and get rid of the bad!)                                                b. A commitment to live better (renew your thoughts and attitudes)                        c. A commitment to live with eternity in mind (and share Him with the world)

 

Close:

As I said in the opening, my friend said “I’m starting a diet..there’s still a ‘skinny’ inside here!” In like manner, according to 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” There should be a “new creation” inside of us then! That should be our standard for this coming year: we call ourselves Christians, so therefore, a new creation is inside of us. Do you have things left over from the “old” person you were that is still taking up residence, but needs to be moved out? All things in your life should have become new when you were saved. Did it? When you are going about your daily business, can the world tell that you are a Christian by your actions? If not, something is desperately needing to change. Today is the first day of the new year—let it be a beginning that will find you, on December 31, 2017, in such a close relationship with Jesus Christ that everyone will know, just from being around you, that He is in residence in your life! Pray for those whom you love who need to hear that He loves them, and pray that He will open a door for you to witness to them in the coming days. Let this be the year that you evangelize your world!

Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:32: “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

Focal Passages: Ephesians 4:17-32.

 

 

THE FATHER’S MIRACLE

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Pizza sounded sooooo good! I had to decide: would it be worth it when it came back up? For nine months I had lost almost everything I had eaten, but this time–this time–I was giving in to my craving! So the pizza went down, every yummy, cheese-dripping, bite! And sure enough, within thirty minutes it was coming back.

Carrying this baby was an act of love, and I could hardly wait for him or her to get here. The agony of the birth itself, the long nine months when one goes from “normal” to waddling like a duck, the back aches, trying to get a good night’s sleep–all that is forgotten the second a mother holds her baby. But. The glory of children is their Father. (Proverbs 17:6).

Not fair, Lord! We’re the one who feeds them, changes their stinky diapers, plays airplane with their food, remembers to write everything in the baby’s book, and smells like spit-up 24/7! We’re the ones who carry a two-year old on one hip, a purse over one shoulder, a diaper bag over the other, and lug a twenty-pound car seat/carrier with the infant in it! But. The glory of children is their father.

The class stood at attention: some were shepherds, some were animals, a few wise men, and some held signs. Moms, for the most part, and tons of grandparents, were sitting as close to the front as possible, cameras flashing. The little shepherd on the back row kept his head straight, looking at his teacher, but every thirty seconds he cut his eyes to the right. Finally, a light bulb was turned on in his face–his daddy had arrived to watch the program. The glory was reflected in his face. The glory of this child–my grandson–is his father.

Summer eventually comes–after a long winter–and mom has to come up with tons of ideas how to keep the children occupied, especially during rainy days, when going outside is not even considered. Oh, the things thought of to do! Making tents over the dining room table, having lunch in a “campsite,” playing Hide and Seek. But everyone is waiting for that special moment when daddy comes home. The glory of children is their father.

A new car is needed now, one that will carry all the kids and all their gear, their musical instruments, and presents for parties, and mom becomes not only the nurse, the cook, maid, and now the chauffeur. But the glory of the children is their father.

God, how can this be?! We pour our souls into these children, we take care of every need, are You sure this is right? And He says, yes, it’s right. My Father is My Glory, and I want to be the Glory of your children, as well. And we say, “But God, what about all the homes where Dad has left, and Mom has to carry all the burden? He doesn’t even send money except when the courts make him!” And God says, he will answer for it, because I created him to be the glory of his children.*

In Mark Lowry’s song, “Mary, Did You Know?” a series of questions are asked that examine the magnitude of how this (approximately) fifteen year old mother could understand the depth of importance in the child she was giving birth to. A phenomenal song, it has blessed the hearts of worshipers since it was written. Mary has been revered, placed with Saints by some churches, prayed to by others, made into an idol, put on necklaces. But today, CHRISTMAS, 2016, let’s take a look at the one person who was also chosen by God to fulfill, not only the role of earthly father, but the one who was godly enough to raise and be responsible for the infant Son of God.

As you come to this week, get your notebook, friends or family, and watch the Christmas service from Thomas Road Baptist Church on Christmas morning, December 25, 2016. Click on http://www.trbc.org/sermons and hit play! If you have time, worship with the children and Praise Team, as the congregation is led in carols that have been sung for years. As Jonathan Falwell leads us to think of the man about whom little is known, let us consider Joseph, a man so humble and godly that God Himself let him be a father to His Only Begotten Son during the first thirty years of His life.

Open:

Not all of us have had fathers who were models that we could learn from; others of us were taught from infancy by one who trained them into leaders. What male made a difference in your life? If you’re with a group, perhaps you can share your thoughts; otherwise, write them down in your notebook.

Today we focus on the outstanding father-figure that has probably among the fewest verses written about him as anyone in the Scripture. Yet his legacy of being chosen by the Creator God is, according to Scripture, amazing in the importance of the role he would play in the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, fully God and yet fully man. Join as we study this little-known hero.

Focal Passage: Luke 2: 1-20, Matthew 1:18-25

Think About or Discuss:

As we heard the story of “Mary, Did You Know?” we could almost turn that song around and ask, “Joseph, did YOU know? Did you understand that God had hand-picked you for one of the most important roles in history? Did you, too, ponder these things in your heart? You were now responsible for the well-being of His Son, the one predicted for hundreds of years by the prophet Isaiah, and you–YOU–have been asked by God, nay, told by God, that you were going to raise Him as your own!” What an amazing, incomprehensible action.

1. What are some of the qualities God would have looked for in this man?

2. Three times in his life, God sent an angel to give him directions as he took care of God’s Son. Do you recall the other times?

THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST’S COMING

3. Read Isaiah 7:13, 14. Joseph, raised in the Jewish culture, knew God had predicted a virgin would have a Child who would be the Savior of His people. Only Joseph knew for certain that this child Mary carried was not his. He, in his honor, decided to forego the marriage with her. What happened before he could do this?

4. Read Zephaniah 3:16, 17. What was the purpose for which Jesus Christ was going to leave heaven’s glory and come to this earth? What did the name “Immanuel” mean?

If an angel appeared to you, telling you that you were to be part of a fulfillment that had been expected for decades, would you believe it? Joseph did! He immediately sought out Mary, and although we are not told, took her as his wife without delay. He did not want her subject to gossip and painful rumors.

Not, of course, part of the sermon, but when my grandfather was a young man in his early twenties, he took as his wife a young girl, about sixteen years old. Because he was several years older than she, he was afraid the marital relations would be fearful for her, and he waited. He wooed her in a husbandly fashion, taking time for weeks to ease her into the gentle caresses and the wonder of marriage that God has ordained. Whenever I think of the kindness, the understanding, and the epitome of a man loving his wife more than he loved himself, my grandfather is my hero. Joseph, as well, waited until after the birth of this special Child before “knowing” Mary as his wife.

THE PROMISE:

5. The verses in Matthew and Luke underline the faith that can be counted on when God makes promises. What verses in Luke reinforce the glory that God had come down to dwell among men?

6. Who else was able to join in the jubilation of this wondrous night? How far did the news spread?

Close:

Never can we understand how Joseph must have felt to have so many unfathomable events occur so quickly in his life: he was bethrothed to marry a young, godly girl, who had to tell him she was pregnant. Surely she explained the circumstances of the angel, but the disbelief had to be paramount! Then he himself is visited by the angel, and within a short period of time, they are married. Soon, the Child of God is part of their family, and not long after–within two years–he is again told by an angel to take his wife and child to Egypt. An awesome, incredible man, who obviously put God first in his life, in his marriage, and in the training of his children. Would that we all had husbands and fathers who loved God above all things. If you are a woman, you can pray for your husband to be the man God intended; if you are a man, pray that God will give you a love for your wife that is the type described in Eph. 5:25, loving them as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it.

Merry Christmas to all, and a beautiful 2017!

 

  • Written in Love Notes blog, Sandra Day

© Melinda Nagy | Dreamstime Stock Photos

TEST: ANGER OR FAITH?

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The farm lay between two mountain ranges, with rolling hills in every direction. A river ran at the back of the thousand acres, wide and beautiful. Barbed-wire fences separated fields, all designated by names for the various pastures or corn fields.

The farmhouse was a dream come true. Since my earliest memories of the times spent at my grandparents’ and other family members’ homes, farming had been a constant love. It was so deep in my soul that it was part of my “bucket list” long before the term was invented. It was my answer every year for what I wanted for Christmas: a farm.

Graduation came and college was on the horizon. My focus got off-whack, and I ended up choosing a path that was vastly different from the one that I had had all my life. I didn’t get my farm at that time due to my own choices.

Years went by, and it was my solace at night as I drifted off to sleep to imagine “my” farm, complete with orchards, barns, cattle and gardens. I can still see the one I invented every night until sleep overtook me. Life and years kept passing by. Eventually my husband was transferred, and on the trip to a state a thousand miles away that would become our new home, looking to rent a home until we knew if we would stay in that area, I scanned the “For Rent” ads. There, newly placed that day, was a farm. As I drove up the long drive to the house, I felt I had come home.

Recently a Christmas party was held. As is common in situations like that, you circulate among people that are casually known, but conversations are surface: the weather, the job, children, previous places of residence. As I spoke to one couple, older than middle age, but not “old,” I asked about children. The pain in the woman’s eyes immediately seared my heart: I had stepped on an issue better to have left unasked. “We never had any,” she replied, and there was no mistaking the pain she felt, even after decades of barrenness. We who have had no problem conceiving seldom think about the pain and suffering couples go through when they cannot have children. I was so sorry I asked. At the Christmas season, with the focus on the manager of Christ, babies mean even more than at other times. And we all know that prayers don’t always get answered. The subject was changed.

The move to the farm was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. All the years of longing were like flowers bursting forth, and I became a person obsessed. I couldn’t get enough of the outdoors, the work, the completeness to my life. Soon it began to be an idol. I stopped going to church on Wednesday nights so I could work outside. Having resided in hot Florida for many years, just being outdoors was a joy in itself. Adding the farm was better than winning the lottery. But the day arrived when I “came to myself,” just as the prodigal son did. I cried out to God to take me away from the place that I had always wanted to be. The next day, He did.

The lady at the Christmas party soon started sharing her memories of the years they had tried to have a baby. It was plain that she felt that God had completely let her down. She had probably been angry in the past, but that anger had cooled to a feeling of disinterest: God was not interested in her feelings, so she would write Him off. There was no opening to share His love for her at the party. In the same way, although I had cried out to God for a way of escape from the very thing I had wanted all my life, I saw it becoming more important to me than my heavenly Father, so you would have thought I would be happy now. Not so. My anger was so hot that He had given me what I wanted more than anything, and now I was having to give it up. That it was my own prayer to Him didn’t matter. I screamed at Him until I lost my voice. It took several years before I was able to appreciate that what He had given me in the deepest part of my being–a calling to be a farmer–was something I had to give up because it became an idol. Does that make sense? My relationship to Him had to come first. Now, all I can hope for is that someday, perhaps in heaven, He will have a farm for me, but if not, He knows best.

That is probably how Elizabeth and Zacharias felt those two thousand years ago, when for decades they cried out for a child. In their culture, to be childless was a stigma, and to not have a son to carry on one’s work was painful. Elizabeth carried sorrow in her heart daily, but at the same time, she and her husband had a faith so huge that they were able to trust that God knew best in His plan for their lives. We might be angry, but they were not. They were righteous in God’s sight. Would that I had been!

Get your notebook, a pen, perhaps something hot on a cold winter–almost Christmas–day, and sit down and watch the sermon preached at Thomas Road Baptist Church on Sunday, December 18, 2016 (if you didn’t see it already). If you have time, watch and sing with the congregation as they worship. Then get ready to do the study below, answering questions and digging deeply to discover how different our lives would be today if Elizabeth, and then Mary, had not borne these two special babies. Above all, appreciate the sacrifice Jesus Christ made when He came to this earth to offer salvation to all of us. Click on the link http://www.trbc.org/sermons and hit the play button in the center. Enjoy the study! If you have friends, family or a group, take as long as you’d like to finish, but let it be your “daily Bread” of life that God has given you today.

Self on the Shelf: The Christmas Calling,  Matt Willmington, Dec. 18, 2016

Open:

If you have lived very long, you have seen the word “calling” constantly change to mean many different actions. Write out as many examples as you can think of!

During this Christmas season, we have attempted through this sermon series to take the focus off ourselves and concentrate on the true message of Christmas. It is the time of year when we reflect most on the coming of Jesus the King, who left heaven to enter the world as a baby, being born of a virgin. We began this series studying the birth of another baby three months earlier, that of John the Baptist, who was the one God had chosen to announce the coming of the Messiah.

Focal Passages: Luke 1:57-80

Think About or Discuss:

Answer God’s Call

  1. Take a few moments and re-read the earlier verses of Luke 1, writing down or discussing the events that took place when Zacharias and Elizabeth learned they would be parents. Can you envision their surprise? How would she tell her friends? What about her family? Do you think she understood who John would be?
  2. Read Isaiah 40:3. What had been prophesied of John, about 700 years before his birth?
  3. When he was born (verses 67-75), what did his father say of him in verses 76-79?
  4. Have you ever felt God moving in your life, so that you knew how to respond in a particular situation? Zacharias and Elizabeth knew this baby was special.

Announce Jesus

  1. What was John’s “calling?” How did this fulfill God’s purpose for him to be born at this time in history?
  2. Was John’s childhood very different than that of Jesus’ (verse 80 compared to Luke 2:40, 52)?
  3. In Matthew 28:19-20, how does John’s calling differ from yours? What do you think your calling may be?

Accept His Timing

  1. Think back to the years when Zacharias and Elizabeth were of child-bearing age and praying constantly that God would bless them with a child; what if John had been born then? Was Mary even alive then? About how long would it have been before Jesus would be born?
  2. What do you find yourself doing when God’s timing is not yours? Do you usually take over and try to manipulate circumstances, or patiently wait for Him to act?
  3. What season are you in now—a waiting period, or is everything going well?

Close:

It is a magnificent lesson to all of us to reflect on the high calling of John the Baptist. In Esther 4:14, it was pointed out to her that she was possibly raised up for the time that she would be needed to save her people from annihilation. John was born at a time in history in order to fulfill prophecy that he would be the one who would announce that the Messiah had come to Israel. But think of his parents: they had prayed long and hard—for many years—for a child, and still Elizabeth remained barren. Did they think God had forgotten them? They kept their faith, but sorrow still had to have been present in her heart. Yet had she been able to see her role from God’s perspective, she would have realized she was going to bear the forerunner to Jesus Christ, and that joy would have taken away all her pain! Perhaps when we have prayers that are not answered in a timely manner, we need to read this passage, asking God for the patience and trust to believe He is working out purposes that are far beyond our ability to grasp, and have faith that He is arranging everything for the good of those we love. Pray for the insight to have a great confidence in Him who created you! And realize that, like John, you have been called to announce to your world the good news of Jesus Christ. What a mighty message you have!

Memory Verse: Luke 1:76: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.”

Focal Passages: Luke 1:57-80, Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1 and 4:5.

 

 

 

 

 

SPRINGS OF WORSHIP

ultrasound-baby2One final push, and sllllluuurrrppp! Baby was in the world! Months before, we had watched in amazement as we saw the miracle of this baby in the womb, our eyes glued to the monitor screen, afraid to miss even a second of movement! You could see the fingers, toes, beating heart, and even the facial changes. As months went by and another ultrasound was scheduled, we learned this new member of the family was to be a son–one who would be born while Daddy was serving overseas. A boy! After two little girls, the excitement of decorating a room, planning the name, and preparing for sleepless nights became the new “normal” in their household.

When time came for the birth, the military allowed Daddy to come home. Another miracle! And then, to top off the wonder that a new baby brings, my daughter-in-law asked if I’d like to watch the birth. It was a moment in time that you feel stunned with happiness, speechless with gratefulness. Having had my own–five, and losing a sixth–it was still not something I had ever thought I would get to witness. During the labor, everything else fades except the awe of the amazing way God has planned the birth of babies. Soon a head appeared, and with that final push, he became someone we could hold, kiss, love on, and teach the awesomeness of his creation.

Many who read this will never have had that experience, or even worse, will have had the baby aborted while still in the womb. Some, like me, will have lost the wee one that was growing, never having had a chance to know why. Life doesn’t always go like we dreamed when we were young. You can still rejoice that God sent His only Son, to give you a life full of peace. Yesterday is gone, so give today to the Savior.

Still, the miracle of birth brings the long-ago and far-away story of Christmas to mind, and how Mary must have felt as a young girl, probably less than fifteen years old. She was truly, except for God, the only person who knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was a virgin. Joseph believed because he heard it from the angel, but Mary–even hearing it from the angel–knew that she had never had “relations with a man.” Do you think it all felt surreal, that God had chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah? Undoubtedly. We wonder, how did the residents of her little village treat her, even after Joseph was willing to take her for his wife? Did they continue to think the two had been intimate? Did she fear the pains of labor? Do you think, because she was carrying the Christ-child, that she had no pain? She probably did. (John 16:21). She would have never imagined that a day would come when we could not only see the baby in the womb, but do operations or other life-saving procedures on the unborn!

Christmas is such a special time, a time to remember that God is still the same as He was when He created the earth and all things, the same who gave His only begotten Son to come to the earth to die a death to pay for our sins, and who now waits for the Father to say, “Son, go get Your children!” If you saw the Sunday sermon at Thomas Road Baptist Church, you know Pastor Jonathan Falwell focused on the worship that should pour from within us at all the wonderful things God has done for us.

Get your notebook, a cup of hot chocolate, your Bible, and get ready to work through the study questions below, digging a little deeper into the message that was preached. If you have a friend, family, or group who can join you, make a fellowship time out of it! If not, work on it throughout the week, or do it all in one sitting, but enjoy learning how better to worship the God who loves you so dearly–much more dearly than you can love even your precious children or family. Click on http://www.trbc.org/service-archive, and click on the sermon for Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016. Let your worship be a priceless gift to God!

Self on the Shelf: Our Worship Matters                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Open:

Often we hear the term worship used as in, “he worships the ground she walks on!” Can you think of other examples of worship used by the world, relating to things or people? Jot your answers down in your notebook, or discuss them if you have someone with you.

Over the past few weeks we have looked at the importance of the true meaning of the Christmas gift of the Savior. We are hoping it impacts our hearts, so that we are not obsessed with the gifts under the tree. This week we are going to look at the response of Mary, as her entire being worshiped and magnified God in the acceptance of being the chosen mother to God’s Son, Jesus, who was to be born as a baby.

Focal Passages: Luke 1:46-55

Think About or Discuss:

Worship Comes from Within: It is the condition of the heart in our daily living

  1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word worship?
  2. How did Mary worship God in verse 46?
  3. Where should your worship originate? Can you think of a moment when spontaneous gratitude and thanksgiving poured from you because God had done something wonderful for you?

A Life of Worship Results in a Response from God: He always responds to a humble heart

  1. What did Mary mean when she referred to herself as “LOWLY”?
  2. Why is God against the proud (verse 51)? Who is the epitome of Pride?
  3. How does your heart alert you to times you are feeling prideful? Can you be worshiping at that time?

This Response is needed in Our Daily Struggle: His mercy overcomes anything we might face

  1. In verse 50, who are the ones who are recipients of His mercy?
  2. Why do we need His mercy daily? What happens when we decide we can handle a situation? What does that action stem from (verse 51)?

This Response is All that is Needed

  1. Who does God have control over? Do you really believe that truth in the depth of your heart? Do you find yourself “helping” God in situations even when you have prayed and tried to give it to Him? Why do you do this?

This Response is Permanent

  1. Who is the promise of verse 55 for? Who are the children spoken of here?
  2. Mary had studied the Old Testament from a child. What did she believe about God’s promises? Do you believe them to the extent you would die for Him?

Close:

Worship is something that is not dependent on external circumstances, but originates in your soul and spirit. You may be “led” in worship by those who are having a group join together in hymns of psalms and praise, but the joy in singing and praying should be an offering to God for all He has done. Few things are more joyous than having spontaneous praise and gratefulness come from your heart because God has shown Himself mighty in a situation. Would that you would always be so full of worship that your soul and spirit magnify Him, as Mary’s did. As you go about this week, be aware of times that pride inserts itself into your life, squashing your wonder at the work God is trying to do. Pray daily that others see Jesus as you live your life, and may your joy and peace be so deep that others desire to know Him and worship Him! Let your daily theme be “O, come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

Memory Verse: Luke 1:49: “For He who is mighty has done great things for me. And Holy is His name.”

Focal Passages: Luke 1:46-55, Prov. 16:18. A mirror response of Mary’s song is Hannah, in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.

C.H. Spurgeon, on Mary’s Song of Worship:

“My soul doth magnify the Lord.” Here is an occupation for all of us who know the Lord, and have been born into His family. It is an occupation which may be followed by all sorts of people. This humble woman speaks of her low estate, and yet she could magnify the Lord. All believers, of every rank and condition, can attend to this work. This is an occupation which can be followed in all places. You need not go up to the meeting house to magnify the Lord, you can do it at home. You may be tossed about upon the sea in a storm, but you may trust His name, and be calm, and so magnify Him. Or, you may be no traveler, and never go a hundred yards out of the village in which you were born, but you may magnify the Lord just as well for all that. This is not an occupation which requires a crowded congregation, it can be fitly performed in solitude. I suppose this sonnet of the Virgin was sung with only one [person] to hear it, her cousin Elizabeth. There is quorum for God’s praise even where there is only one; but, where there are two that agree to praise God, then is the praise exceeding sweet.

 

 

 

A Reason To Hope

big2Jeff was such a great friend! He had gone to a great high school , and belonged to the larger clique that was made up of friends whose interests were on getting high grades while enjoying school. College was the next step, and it wasn’t long before his class had scattered all across America in various jobs, universities, military, or family.

His family lived just down the road from us, and during college he married his high-school sweetheart. Living with his folks provided some ways to cut the cost of married life, and still continue in school. This particular evening the family held off having supper, waiting for Jeff to get home. Long minutes went by. With each passing quarter hour, the fear became stronger, as the whole family knew he would not scare his wife or parents intentionally.

The dreaded knock came at the door, and as every parent’s nightmare, it was the deputy from the Sheriff’s Department. They explained a car had come upon a wrecked vehicle; it looked as though it had slid going around a sharp curve, and overturned, possibly by over-correcting. The windshield was broken, and there was no body inside the car. The man had run to the nearest house to call the cops, and then went back to search.

Jeff was found nearby, thrown from the car, with a large stone under his right temple, a bruise and lump already formed. He had come down hard on the rock. He was alive but unconscious. The family quickly readied to go to the local hospital.

Over the next few weeks, he laid in a coma, until finally he started to wake up. The family had kept a vigil around his bed twenty four hours a day, all of them filled with hope that he would make it. He had made it through the wreck, was alive, so he would wake up. No one wanted a different outcome. Prayers were going up all over the town.

The morning he began to show signs of consciousness, the excitement was greater than if a family had just had a baby! He was alive, his eyes were open, and the swelling and bruises had all but gone away. Everything was going to be alright. Until he spoke. “Who are you?” he finally asked of those around his bed. No one wanted to answer, as much from being stunned at the unreal feeling of the question as not knowing how to answer. How do you say, “I’m your mom; your dad; your wife?” As the day passed, reality set in: Jeff suffered badly from amnesia. He had no idea who he was, who they were, no past, and no future.

Over the next few days he gained ground physically, but not mentally. The doctors had to release him to go home, but no one knew how to tell Jeff that he would be going to a place he would not recognize. His wife was beside herself with grief and “what if’s.” What if he didn’t love her if he regained his memory? What if he never got better? They constantly cried out to God, but there was no answer. A couple of months went by.

We visited often, but it’s hard to talk to someone who doesn’t remember you. It’s hard to say, “I was your best friend,” or “We did… (this or that) together all the time.” His wife was like a child who was totally lost.

By the time a half-year had passed, little pieces of memory were starting to return. For awhile he thought and talked as if he was back in high school, and wondered why they wouldn’t let him get on the bus, or drive his car to class. It was a long, very long, recuperation. Eventually, he grew to remember his family, his wife, and was able to re-establish a semblance of life as he had known it.

Hope is the one thing that gets a person or a family through the most difficult of situations, although I am by no means discounting God’s presence and sovereignty in every second of life. But life as we know it–physically looking at it, especially during long, dark valleys–is the ability to “hope” that tomorrow may be different. If not tomorrow, one day. If not one day, one year. Sometime, somewhere, things will be good again. Losing that hope, deciding within our deepest soul, that nothing will ever change, is the trigger that conditions one to give up.

Christians, of all people in the world, have a hope that the world can’t understand. We know that our hope is found in the Creator, the one who left glory to come to this earth in order to offer those who would accept His payment for their sins a life of eternity with Him. How do we know this is true? Millions and millions of changed lives testify that He came, He lived, He died, He rose from the grave, and forty days later ascended back to heaven, to wait for the day His Father says, “Son, go get Your children!” We have this hope–this surety: a changed life. His strength gets us through the toughest of days, the struggles of real life, the tribulations that face us, and the crises we have to go through.

Now is a good time to get your notebook, a cup of coffee and your Bible. If you have a friend, family member(s), or group of those who would like to join you, watch the sermon from Thomas Road Baptist Church for Sunday, December 4, 2016, and then do the study below. If you’ve seen the service, just go to the study. If not, and you have some extra time, enjoy the music time as the congregation worships the Lord Jesus Christ in song! Click on http://www.trbc.org/service-archive, and choose the last service. It will thrill you to join other Christians as we look at the hope that Jesus brought to this earth when He was born of a lowly virgin named Mary. What a day that would have been! Settle in for the “reason to hope” in a bright future!

Self on the Shelf: A Reason for Hope                                                                                       December 4, 2016                                                                                                                            Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Open:

If you could ask for one thing for Christmas, and you knew you would get it, what would it be? Write down your answers, or discuss them if you have someone you are studying with. How many of these were material desires? Were any intangible things?

This week we continue to fill our hearts and minds with the right perspective of the Christmas season. We want to re-live the miracle of Christ’s birth as He left His glory as the Sovereign God of the universe to come to this earth as a baby. His birth provides us with salvation through the greatest story ever told. We will focus today on Mary’s role in His coming, and the hope that His life can give us.

Focal Passages: Luke 1:26-45; Isaiah 9:6,7

Think About or Discuss:

Christmas is a Reminder that Christ Reigns

  1. Christianity is different from all other religions. What are the reasons given in Luke 1:32 and 33?
  2. Many prophecies were given foretelling the coming of a Messiah who would reign for eternity. Read Isaiah 9:6,7. How is this impacting how you live today?

Christmas is a Reminder of His Power

  1. Jesus did not leave His power in heaven when He came to earth, but came fully God, and fully man. What was His first miracle? (Hint: Luke 2:11).
  2. What are some reasons that Mary and Joseph never doubted that Jesus is the Son of God?
  3. What does verse 37 tell you? What does “nothing” mean? What is a “nothing” in your life that you feel it is impossible for Him to fix? (How much time do you spend praying about it?)

Christmas is a Reminder of God’s Plan

  1. In verses 38 and 45, why does the scripture say that Mary was blessed?
  2. Can you list a promise or promises that God has given to you in His word? Do you really believe them? Are there any that you have a problem with? As you can see from the text passage, belief brings blessings!
  3. What is the promise for you in Jeremiah 29:11? How do your actions show that you believe that?

Close:

The Christmas season reveals our hearts like no other time of the year. It is easy for our thoughts to be centered on parties, decorations, cards, and gifts, but we need to lay open our deepest desires, and look at them through the eyes of God: do we have a “give me” attitude, or are we examining our lives to see that we are fulfilling the purpose He had for us when He gave us the free gift of salvation? Do we allow Him to always reign supreme as we live life, believing His promises and not doubting His ability to handle anything that happens to us? Are we using this season to bless others as He has blessed us? There are a multitude of opportunities that exist to give of yourself to your neighbors, friends or your community (or even your world). Be aware that even in a church body Christmas can be a time of sorrow for those who are alone, or have lost a loved one, and ministry occasions abound. Even a friendly smile or a listening ear can ease someone’s burden, and may, in turn, possibly open doors for you to tell the “greatest story ever told” to a lost and dying world. Above all, pray that your walk with Christ is deeper than it was last year at this time.

Memory Verse: Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Focal Passages: Luke 1:26-45, Isaiah 9:6-7.

Some of God’s Promises:

“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Heb. 13:5b                      “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21                                                                                                                                         “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5                                                                         “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12                                                                                                                                                               “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Rev. 21:4.

Let the Reason for this Season wash over you in a glorious bathing of hope!