Ladies,
First some housekeeping information. We have decided to do our July 10th study in the hotel after dinner since the majority of us will be attending the Women of Faith Conference. For those of you who are not able to join us, I will post our comments as soon as I can.
This week we completed two sections of the book, Finding the Way and Miles and Missions.
Our lessons pick up with the stoning of Stephen with Saul cheering on each blow. We learned of Stephen's forgiving spirit and what is, perhaps, Saul's first experience with true grace. As the life leaves Stephen's body, he cries out on behalf of his persecutors, begging for their forgiveness. We questioned whether we would, in the same or similar situation, be able to show as much of Christ in us as Stephen did. Would we be dominated by the Holy Spirit or by a spirit of hatred and revenge? Moore states that "the more Stephen poured out his life for Christ, the more Christ poured His life into Stephen." We are all human, flawed and fickle. Stephen was no exception. The difference is how much reign we are willing to let Christ have in our lives. Stephen had given himself over to Christ completely....have we? Our ability to forgive, our ability to make Christ-like decisions of grace is a wonderful testimony of our faith. No doubt that we will struggle with human nature but in the end it only matters whether or not we let Christ win the fight for us. After all, He already has.
In the next chapter we see the dramatic conversion of Saul. I kind of feel sorry for Saul. He is so sure of his beliefs, but he is surely wrong. What a lightbulb experience this must have been for Saul (only I guess his lights went out). Remember Saul was on his way to Damascus to bring back Christians in order to have them executed. Saul is up to his neck in nastiness. He is out to get people he doesn't even know. Christ confronts him with the the question "Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4) Suddenly this obsession that Saul has with a faceless group of troublemakers becomes personal. Christ makes it personal. Saul isn't just persecuting his followers, he is persecuting Jesus himself. Big mistake! So Jesus strikes him blind and forces Saul to spend some time in real prayer. Has God ever had to force you to your knees so that you would really spend some time with Him? At the end of the 9th chapter in Acts we meet a man named Barnabas. He plays an important role in the development of the great missionary named Paul. The other apostles were not quite ready to accept Saul's conversion, probably out of fear, but Barnabas brought him in. Barnabas, whose name means son of encouragement, took the first important step to reach out to Saul, to welcome him, and to make him feel like part of the group, much the same way that Christ would have done. It takes courage to go out on a limb for somebody, especially one as notoriously mean as Saul. But look at how the church grew under Paul's ministry. Do you stand in the way of a modern-day Paul or do you open the door wide and welcome all those who want to enter?
Chapter 9 focuses on the story of Peter and Cornelius. We see Peter experience a revelation about equality. In this vision, the hierarchy of spiritualism is torn down. God wants ALL people to come to know Him. This was a new concept for the Jews of Paul's day. To this point there had always been a "chosen people" but now God is making it clear that everyone is welcome at the cross.(kind of makes sense doesn't it, since He created us all) Peter is being called to minister to the Jews while Paul is being called to minister to the Gentiles.
In Chapter 10 talks about Paul being a mold-breaker for Christ and His church. We discussed at length how molds have been broken over the years in our church. Things as simple as clapping at the end of a special music to the drums being played during worship. We shared our opinions on why these molds existed in the first place. Most of what we find is that these molds are based on tradition, not biblical rightness. It is important when we feel that our worship is being effected by change that we examine why things are changing. Are things changing because the Holy Spirit is at work and therefore we can't remain the same? Are things changing because Satan is trying to distract us from our God-focused perspective? We don't want to be a stick in the mud and if we look at the early church we see that change was the only constant.
In Acts 11:23 we see that Barnabas is still living up to his name as he encouraged the believers to "remain true to the Lord with all their hearts". Moore points out that what he is really saying is that we need to plan to be faithful. We have to plan during the smooth sailing that when a storm starts to build we will remain true to the Lord. What a great point! It reminds me of a marriage committment. When we say our vows, we are essentially planning to remain true to that relationship. When we committ our live to God it shouldn't just be for an instant, it should be for an eternity. Plan to remain true.
The next section of the book is called Miles and Missions. Paul sets out to answer his calling. Paul and Barnabas go to the church at Antioch. Moore describes this church as being full of "willing evangelists, willing recipients, effective disciples, and strong leadership. If we were to evaluate our church, would we be able to say the same? Which areas are we lacking in? Which areas are we strong in? Moores writes "The leaders of the church in Antioch were constantly ready to hear from God; therefore, when He spoke, they were listening." What is he calling us to do? Where is he calling us to go? Are we listening or too busy talking?
Next we discussed miracles. Beth Moore asks the question "Do you ever wonder why God doesn't more often perform miraculous works?" We concluded that God performs miracles everyday but we often allow Satan to blind us from seeing God's hand. Several of us shared recent examples of miracles we have experienced. What a great way to reaffirm our belief in our awesome God! If anyone has a miracle they would like to share, please post it and I will take it to our group next week. Moore points out that God uses both natural and supernatural means to deliver us from danger but both are divine provisions. Maybe we need to change our definition of miracle to help us see God at work in the everyday.
Trials and hardships are not fun things to discuss but we braved the topic anyway. Scripture states that "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). So we know they are coming....the question is How are we going to deal with them once they get here? Have we planned to remain faithful in difficult times? Have we decided to accept the inevitability of trials and suffering so that we can move on to the responsibility of remaining faithful no matter what? I think that Paul had to know that he would surely suffer a painful end, just as Stephen did as he looked on a cheered, but he committed his life to Christ anyway. His suffering would not be in vain. He was a forgiven child of God and would, after his earthly trials were finished, be in heaven with the Christ who saved him from himself. We concluded our discussion with the topic of legalism. How can we pursue a godly lifestyle without becoming legalistic? Moore says "When we paint the picture of salvation for others to see, we may use different colors, textures, and shapes on the edge of the parchment but in the center can only be a cross." We must focus on the love God has for his creation (all of us), the sacrifice of His only Son, and the forgiveness we ourselves have experienced through Christ.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Chapter 2 begins with the verse "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6). As we begin this chapter we learned that the person who was primarily responsible for a child's "training" was the father. We can assume that Saul's father took his role very seriously because it was his duty as defined by the Code of Jewish Law. As Saul continues to grow and develop, we see that his training deepens with more memorization and learning the rituals that will dictate his life. We admired the Jews of Saul's day for being so dedicated to the Word but we questioned what was the motivation behind this type of rote memorization. Did this daily routine of praying, dressing, moving, and thinking result in a love for God? or maybe just a love for the fulfillment of the law of God?
In chapter 3 Saul journeys to Jerusalem to pursue the best rabbinical training that existed at the time. He is taught by one of the most impressive Jewish rabbis in history, Gamaliel. Beth Moore gives a great description of Saul's first glimpse of Jerusalem and the temple that means so much to his religion. Some of us agreed that the mountains in Nelson County or the ocean create the same feelings of awe and acknowledgement of God that must have passed through Saul's mind when he first saw the temple. So why is it important to know that Saul was trained by Gamaliel, in Jerusalem? I think it gives us some significant perspective on who Saul was before he accepted Christ. How indoctrinated into Judaism he was! But as Moore writes "Nothing in the young man's life would be a waste unless he refused to let God use it." God is going to use Saul's past, his upbringing, and his training to make him a better servant.
Chapter 4 is entitled "Strangled by the Law". We discussed how Saul probably began his studies with the right intentions but somewhere along the way the law took over and suffocated any love that may have existed. Saul eventually becomes one of the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do Pharisees. Moore points us to Matthew 23 for Jesus' opinion on the hypocritical Pharisees of his time. As we examined that chapter, we realized that there may be some Pharisee in all of us. Moore says "Godly people are valiant people. They are people with the courage to ask God to spotlight areas of weakness, sin, and failure. Then God can strengthen, heal and complete what is lacking." So are we willing to look at the possibly long list of shortcomings and ask God to fix it....and then have the courage to hold on tight to Him while he sends our dirty laundry through the cleaners?
In Chapter 5 Saul heads back to Tarsus just as things are heating up in Jerusalem. There is a man named Jesus who breaks on to the scene after some guy named John the Baptist gets things warmed up. The Pharisees didn't much care for John the Baptist but they really couldn't stand Jesus. And with good reason. Jesus was well trained too. He knew the laws, he knew the history, but more importantly he knew the Father. He knew about love. The Pharisees are outwardly disgusted by Jesus eating with sinners and healing people on the Sabbath but inwardly don't you think they were intimidated? Don't you think maybe they were wishing they had realized that was the point to all this religion stuff? Their is some scriptural evidence that some Pharisees did believe in Jesus as the Messiah but they were too in love with the law and their titles and the prestige of their position to speak up. The Pharisees were desperate to put an end to Jesus and his teachings so they cooked up a scheme that fulfills many of the prophecies that they learned about in school. It's just too bad they didn't realize it. Jesus did what he came to do. He payed for our sins on the cross. Moore says the work of Calvary is finished, Salvation is finished but Santification is not, completion is not. Good news for us and good news for Saul. We will see just how far from finished God was with Saul. Are you willing to admit that God is not finished with you yet? Our sins have been forgiven but God's not done with us yet. Where is He taking us? You can bet the destination is heaven but the road to get there may not seem like it.
In chapter 3 Saul journeys to Jerusalem to pursue the best rabbinical training that existed at the time. He is taught by one of the most impressive Jewish rabbis in history, Gamaliel. Beth Moore gives a great description of Saul's first glimpse of Jerusalem and the temple that means so much to his religion. Some of us agreed that the mountains in Nelson County or the ocean create the same feelings of awe and acknowledgement of God that must have passed through Saul's mind when he first saw the temple. So why is it important to know that Saul was trained by Gamaliel, in Jerusalem? I think it gives us some significant perspective on who Saul was before he accepted Christ. How indoctrinated into Judaism he was! But as Moore writes "Nothing in the young man's life would be a waste unless he refused to let God use it." God is going to use Saul's past, his upbringing, and his training to make him a better servant.
Chapter 4 is entitled "Strangled by the Law". We discussed how Saul probably began his studies with the right intentions but somewhere along the way the law took over and suffocated any love that may have existed. Saul eventually becomes one of the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do Pharisees. Moore points us to Matthew 23 for Jesus' opinion on the hypocritical Pharisees of his time. As we examined that chapter, we realized that there may be some Pharisee in all of us. Moore says "Godly people are valiant people. They are people with the courage to ask God to spotlight areas of weakness, sin, and failure. Then God can strengthen, heal and complete what is lacking." So are we willing to look at the possibly long list of shortcomings and ask God to fix it....and then have the courage to hold on tight to Him while he sends our dirty laundry through the cleaners?
In Chapter 5 Saul heads back to Tarsus just as things are heating up in Jerusalem. There is a man named Jesus who breaks on to the scene after some guy named John the Baptist gets things warmed up. The Pharisees didn't much care for John the Baptist but they really couldn't stand Jesus. And with good reason. Jesus was well trained too. He knew the laws, he knew the history, but more importantly he knew the Father. He knew about love. The Pharisees are outwardly disgusted by Jesus eating with sinners and healing people on the Sabbath but inwardly don't you think they were intimidated? Don't you think maybe they were wishing they had realized that was the point to all this religion stuff? Their is some scriptural evidence that some Pharisees did believe in Jesus as the Messiah but they were too in love with the law and their titles and the prestige of their position to speak up. The Pharisees were desperate to put an end to Jesus and his teachings so they cooked up a scheme that fulfills many of the prophecies that they learned about in school. It's just too bad they didn't realize it. Jesus did what he came to do. He payed for our sins on the cross. Moore says the work of Calvary is finished, Salvation is finished but Santification is not, completion is not. Good news for us and good news for Saul. We will see just how far from finished God was with Saul. Are you willing to admit that God is not finished with you yet? Our sins have been forgiven but God's not done with us yet. Where is He taking us? You can bet the destination is heaven but the road to get there may not seem like it.
Chapters 1-5
Ladies,
We are off to a great start. We had a good turn out today and I hope you think we had a good discussion, too. For those of you who couldn't make it, here's a recap.
Last year, we did a great study on God's grace. It was a wonderful study for our group but it was totally different from the study of Paul's life and mission that we began today. We will focus mainly on one man's life and the unexpected paths he finds himself on as a child of God. There are plenty of opportunities for you to be blessed by this study if you will allow God to have free reign in your life.
Chapter One is entitled "Set Apart from Birth". Beth Moore introduces us to Saul through the description of a typical circumcision ceremony in Saul's day. We learn that the Orthodox Jew has four main realms of focus: the circumcision that represents the covenant of Abraham, the marriage relationship, the study of the Torah, and the performance of good deeds. These are the things that drive the Orthodox Jew. We learned from our reading that the homes of the devout Jew of Paul's generation were marked by a mezuzah, a container that housed specific verses from Deuteronomy. We commented that it might be nice to have a specific marking that would identify us as Christians. (Unless, of course, you catch one of us on a day that we really need that whole grace thing that we talked about last year.) I think it is important to understand the type of home and upbringing that Saul most likely had for us to understand how far Paul really had to come. The same may be true for some of us. We may have come from some pretty crazy circumstances, as far from God as possible, but the good news is that we still belong to Him, the cross is big enough for whatever background you came from, and best of all, God has a plan for your life.
We are off to a great start. We had a good turn out today and I hope you think we had a good discussion, too. For those of you who couldn't make it, here's a recap.
Last year, we did a great study on God's grace. It was a wonderful study for our group but it was totally different from the study of Paul's life and mission that we began today. We will focus mainly on one man's life and the unexpected paths he finds himself on as a child of God. There are plenty of opportunities for you to be blessed by this study if you will allow God to have free reign in your life.
Chapter One is entitled "Set Apart from Birth". Beth Moore introduces us to Saul through the description of a typical circumcision ceremony in Saul's day. We learn that the Orthodox Jew has four main realms of focus: the circumcision that represents the covenant of Abraham, the marriage relationship, the study of the Torah, and the performance of good deeds. These are the things that drive the Orthodox Jew. We learned from our reading that the homes of the devout Jew of Paul's generation were marked by a mezuzah, a container that housed specific verses from Deuteronomy. We commented that it might be nice to have a specific marking that would identify us as Christians. (Unless, of course, you catch one of us on a day that we really need that whole grace thing that we talked about last year.) I think it is important to understand the type of home and upbringing that Saul most likely had for us to understand how far Paul really had to come. The same may be true for some of us. We may have come from some pretty crazy circumstances, as far from God as possible, but the good news is that we still belong to Him, the cross is big enough for whatever background you came from, and best of all, God has a plan for your life.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
To Live is Christ
Ladies,
Thanks for joining us again this year for our summer book study. We will begin our discussion group this Thursday. I look forward to a good time of reflection, study, and fellowship. I am posting the reading schedule for your convience. Please read the chapters and Scripture before coming to the group. Please feel free to post your opinions and responses to each week's reading and to use this tool for those occasions when you cannot attend. I can't wait to get started!
Chapters Dates
Intro-5 June 19
6-15 June 26
16-25 July 3
26-35 July 10
36-45 July 17
46-50 July 24
Thanks for joining us again this year for our summer book study. We will begin our discussion group this Thursday. I look forward to a good time of reflection, study, and fellowship. I am posting the reading schedule for your convience. Please read the chapters and Scripture before coming to the group. Please feel free to post your opinions and responses to each week's reading and to use this tool for those occasions when you cannot attend. I can't wait to get started!
Chapters Dates
Intro-5 June 19
6-15 June 26
16-25 July 3
26-35 July 10
36-45 July 17
46-50 July 24
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