James 1:7 ~ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.
God is the author of all good gifts -- relationships, food, pleasures, family, summer night skies, melodies, and a million other graces.
Behind every lowercase god is something false.
Satan will tell us what's true, but he never tells us the truth.
In order to stick with the truth, we have to know it.
Regardless of the circumstances, it takes confidence to believe that God is going to protect and take care of us as we wait in difficult situations.
Romans 16::19 ~ I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Psalms 1:1-2 ~ Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates night and day.
What do we need to avoid or get rid of to pursue the truth? True conviction doesn't look for loopholes, it isn't sad. If true conviction is present, we will begin to look a that thing as something that was taking the place of God, something that was stealing from us.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Session 2: Why Idols (May 13)
Some of the reasons we run to idols...
- Identity
- Need
- Pain
Fear is the agent hired by our idols to keep us attached. Fear itself is not the god; the object of our fear is the god.
Scripture is the recording of God's heart toward His creation -- a creation He knows is prone to be afraid at every turn. He knows our frailty. He knows what causes our blood to run cold. He knows that fear can be our default.
Joshua 1:9 ~ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Session 1: Personal Pharaohs (May 6)
I hope you all are enjoying the study so far. I think it is going to be good. Here's a few things to remember from this week...
Professed god - who or what we say our god is
Functional god - who or what actually operates as our god
"Remember, we're walking together toward the goal of eradicating the things from our lives that are false, that lie, that kill, and that steal. But if we stop there, we miss the point: to MAKE ROOM for God to live unrivaled in our hearts, shedding life, light, glory, healing, holiness, miracles, peace, and more things than I could ever write." (pg. 24)
Matthew 6:21 ~ what we treasure is where our heart is
Isaiah 44:9 ~ if we treasure idols, we treasure what is worthless
2 Kings 17:15 ~ we become like what we treasure/worship
Creative reflection assignment: of the verses above that struck you as most profound ponder a song, movie clip, painting, picture, personal experience, example in nature, childhood remembrance or anything that best reflects that concept.
See you guys on Thursday!
Professed god - who or what we say our god is
Functional god - who or what actually operates as our god
"Remember, we're walking together toward the goal of eradicating the things from our lives that are false, that lie, that kill, and that steal. But if we stop there, we miss the point: to MAKE ROOM for God to live unrivaled in our hearts, shedding life, light, glory, healing, holiness, miracles, peace, and more things than I could ever write." (pg. 24)
Matthew 6:21 ~ what we treasure is where our heart is
Isaiah 44:9 ~ if we treasure idols, we treasure what is worthless
2 Kings 17:15 ~ we become like what we treasure/worship
Creative reflection assignment: of the verses above that struck you as most profound ponder a song, movie clip, painting, picture, personal experience, example in nature, childhood remembrance or anything that best reflects that concept.
See you guys on Thursday!
Thought you might like this...
Linda passed this interview with Beth Moore along per our discussion last week about her new book, So Long Insecurity. Enjoy!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Introduction Session - April 29
Discussion
Personal prayer request, including…
Please share what you perceive to be your biggest challenge toward walking victoriously with God this summer. House full of children? Heavy work load? Difficult season emotionally? Just had your heart broken? Just feel far from God? Whatever it may be, share it with your small group and take some time to pray for one another in your meeting today. Also, intercede accordingly toward your sister’s need for the duration of the study.
History of Kings (click here to see separate post)
Theme of No Other Gods Study…
They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought. ~ 2 Kings 17:33
Personal prayer request, including…
Please share what you perceive to be your biggest challenge toward walking victoriously with God this summer. House full of children? Heavy work load? Difficult season emotionally? Just had your heart broken? Just feel far from God? Whatever it may be, share it with your small group and take some time to pray for one another in your meeting today. Also, intercede accordingly toward your sister’s need for the duration of the study.
History of Kings (click here to see separate post)
Theme of No Other Gods Study…
They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought. ~ 2 Kings 17:33
Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. ~ 2 Kings 17:41
Memory Verse
(from Beth Moore's blog on the study)...Turn to Jude 1:24,25 and read your summer Bible study memory verse-segment. (Oh, yes, you can memorize!!! You just have to learn how to make fun associations that make it memorable!) This is our only memory segment all summer so it’s very doable. Spend most of your gathering time thinking of ways as a small group to memorize it. Get creative! You can make up hand motions or actions to go with it – anything fun, clever, or meaningful to make it easier to memorize.
Jude 1:24-25
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Homework
Read chapter 1
Memory Verse
(from Beth Moore's blog on the study)...Turn to Jude 1:24,25 and read your summer Bible study memory verse-segment. (Oh, yes, you can memorize!!! You just have to learn how to make fun associations that make it memorable!) This is our only memory segment all summer so it’s very doable. Spend most of your gathering time thinking of ways as a small group to memorize it. Get creative! You can make up hand motions or actions to go with it – anything fun, clever, or meaningful to make it easier to memorize.
Jude 1:24-25
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Homework
Read chapter 1
History of Kings (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings)
1 Samuel chapters 1-7 serve as a necessary preface for the narratives of chapters 8-12, which describe the rise and establishment of kingship in Israel. In the study of these chapters, scholars have often noted the presence of a tension or ambivalence in the attitude toward the monarchy: One the one hand, Samuel is commended by the Lord to give the people a king; on the other hand, their request for a king is considered a sinful rejection of the Lord. These seemingly conflicting attitudes toward the monarchy must be understood in the context of Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord.
Moses had anticipated Israel’s desire for a human king (Dt 17:14-21), but Israelite kingship was to be compatible with the continued rule of the Lord over his people as their Great King. Instead, when the elders asked Samuel to give them a king (8:5, 19-20), they rejected the Lord’s kingship over them. Their desire was for a king such as the nations around them had – to lead them in battle and give them a sense of national security and unity. The request for a king constituted a denial of their covenant relationship to the Lord, who was their king. The Lord not only had promised to be their protector but had also repeatedly demonstrated his power in their behalf (ch 4-7).
Nevertheless, the Lord instructed Samuel to give the people a king. By divine appointment Saul was brought into contact with Samuel, and Samuel was directed to anoint Saul privately as king (9:1-10:16).
The question that still needed resolution, then, was not so much whether Israel should have a king (it was clearly the Lord’s will to give them a king), but rather how they could maintain their covenant with God now that they had a human king. The problem was resolved when Samuel called the people to repentance and renewal of their allegiance to the Lord on the very occasion of the inauguration of Saul as king. By establishing kingship in the context of covenant renewal, Samuel placed the monarchy in Israel on a radically different footing from that in surrounding nations. The king in Israel was not to be autonomous in his authority and power; rather, he was to be subject to the law of the Lord and the word of the prophet (10:25, 12:23). This was true not only for Saul but also for all the kings who would occupy the throne in Israel in the future. The king was to be an instrument of the Lord’s rule over his people, and the people as well as the king were to continued to recognize the Lord as their ultimate Sovereign (12:14-15).
Saul soon demonstrated that he was unwilling to submit to the requirements of his theocratic office (ch 13-15). When he disobeyed the instructions of the profit Samuel in preparation for battle against the Philistines (13:13), and when he refused to totally destroy the Amalekites as he had been commanded to do by the word of the Lord through Samuel (ch 15), he ceased to be an instrument of the Lord’s rule over his people. These abrogations of the requirements of his theocratic office led to his rejection as king (15:23).
2 Samuel depicts David as a true (though imperfect) representative of the theocratic king. David was initially acclaimed king at Hebron by the tribe of Judah (chs 1-4), and subsequently was accepted by the remaining tribes. David’s leadership was decisive and effective. He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his royal city and residence (5:6-13). Shortly afterward he brought the ark of the Lord from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem, publicly acknowledging the Lord’s kingship and rule over himself and the nation (ch 6).
Under David’s rule the Lord caused the nation to prosper, to defeat its enemies and, in fulfillment of his promise (Ge 15:18), to extend its borders from Egypt to the Euphrates (ch 8). David wanted to build a temple for the Lord – as his royal house, as a place for his throne (the ark) and as a place for Israel to worship him. But the prophet Nathan told David that he was not to build the Lord a house (temple), rather, the Lord would build David a house (dynasty). Ch 7 announces the Lord’s promise that this Davidic dynasty would endure forever. Later the prophets make clear that a descendant of David who sits on David’s throne will perfectly fulfill the role of the theocratic king. He will complete the redemption of God’s people, thus enabling them to achieve the promised victory with him (Ro 16:20).
After the description of David’s rule in its glory and success, ch 10-20 depict the darker side of his reign and describe David’s weaknesses and failures. Even though David remained a king after God’s own heart because he was willing to acknowledge his sin and repent (12:13), he nevertheless fell far short of the theocratic ideal and suffered the disciplinary results of his disobedience (12:10-12). His sin with Bathsheba (ch 11-12) and leniency both with the wickedness of his sons (13:12-39; 21; 14:1, 33; 19:4-6) and with the insubordination of Joab (3:28-39; 10:10, 23) led to intrigue, violence and bloodshed within his own family and the nation. Nonetheless the Lord was gracious to David, and his reign became a standard by which the reigns of later kings were measured.
1 & 2 Kings narrates the history of Israel during the period of the monarchy from the closing days of David’s rule until the time of the Babylonian exile. After an extensive account of Solomon’s reign, the narrative relates the division of the kingdom and then presents an interrelated account of developments within the two kingdoms. Special attention is given to the ministries of Elijah and Elisha in the northern kingdom, with almost a third of the book (nearly equal to the amount of narrative given to Solomon’s reign) devoted to God’s efforts through his prophets to turn that kingdom away from its apostasies back to covenant faithfulness.
Following Solomon’s reign, the kingdom was split in two. In the southern kingdom (Judah containing Jerusalem) all of the rulers were descendents of David, beginning with Solomon’s son Rehoboam (except Athaliah, who usurping of the throne interrupted the sequence for a few years). Kingship in the northern region (Israel), beginning with Jeroboam, was plagued with instability and violence.
Both Judah and Israel had each 19 kings. Athaliah, the wicked woman who ruled 7 years in Judah, usurped the throne and is not counted as a legal ruler.
Judah had but one dynasty, beginning with David, when the kingdom was still one, and continuing to the Babylonish captivity. The Books of Chronicles establish the fact of the unbroken family line of kings and priests and Judah through the Captivity and afterwards on down to Christ, the son of David, the Son of God.
Israel had nine different dynasties. On account of wickedness no kingly family was established on the throne throughout the duration of the kingdom, and in 721 B.C. Israel went into dispersion, under Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Today this nation is remembered as "The Ten Lost Tribes."
Judah had at least four good kings; four others were partially good. Israel had all wicked and idolatrous kings — not a one godly.
Israel remained a kingdom approximately 254 years. Judah remained a kingdom approximately 389 years — 135 years longer than Israel because some of Judah’s kings were godly.
Rulers following Solomon's reign in Judah (southern region) and Israel (northern region)...
Note: Summary info taken from the Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Chart taken from this link.
Moses had anticipated Israel’s desire for a human king (Dt 17:14-21), but Israelite kingship was to be compatible with the continued rule of the Lord over his people as their Great King. Instead, when the elders asked Samuel to give them a king (8:5, 19-20), they rejected the Lord’s kingship over them. Their desire was for a king such as the nations around them had – to lead them in battle and give them a sense of national security and unity. The request for a king constituted a denial of their covenant relationship to the Lord, who was their king. The Lord not only had promised to be their protector but had also repeatedly demonstrated his power in their behalf (ch 4-7).
Nevertheless, the Lord instructed Samuel to give the people a king. By divine appointment Saul was brought into contact with Samuel, and Samuel was directed to anoint Saul privately as king (9:1-10:16).
The question that still needed resolution, then, was not so much whether Israel should have a king (it was clearly the Lord’s will to give them a king), but rather how they could maintain their covenant with God now that they had a human king. The problem was resolved when Samuel called the people to repentance and renewal of their allegiance to the Lord on the very occasion of the inauguration of Saul as king. By establishing kingship in the context of covenant renewal, Samuel placed the monarchy in Israel on a radically different footing from that in surrounding nations. The king in Israel was not to be autonomous in his authority and power; rather, he was to be subject to the law of the Lord and the word of the prophet (10:25, 12:23). This was true not only for Saul but also for all the kings who would occupy the throne in Israel in the future. The king was to be an instrument of the Lord’s rule over his people, and the people as well as the king were to continued to recognize the Lord as their ultimate Sovereign (12:14-15).
Saul soon demonstrated that he was unwilling to submit to the requirements of his theocratic office (ch 13-15). When he disobeyed the instructions of the profit Samuel in preparation for battle against the Philistines (13:13), and when he refused to totally destroy the Amalekites as he had been commanded to do by the word of the Lord through Samuel (ch 15), he ceased to be an instrument of the Lord’s rule over his people. These abrogations of the requirements of his theocratic office led to his rejection as king (15:23).
2 Samuel depicts David as a true (though imperfect) representative of the theocratic king. David was initially acclaimed king at Hebron by the tribe of Judah (chs 1-4), and subsequently was accepted by the remaining tribes. David’s leadership was decisive and effective. He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his royal city and residence (5:6-13). Shortly afterward he brought the ark of the Lord from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem, publicly acknowledging the Lord’s kingship and rule over himself and the nation (ch 6).
Under David’s rule the Lord caused the nation to prosper, to defeat its enemies and, in fulfillment of his promise (Ge 15:18), to extend its borders from Egypt to the Euphrates (ch 8). David wanted to build a temple for the Lord – as his royal house, as a place for his throne (the ark) and as a place for Israel to worship him. But the prophet Nathan told David that he was not to build the Lord a house (temple), rather, the Lord would build David a house (dynasty). Ch 7 announces the Lord’s promise that this Davidic dynasty would endure forever. Later the prophets make clear that a descendant of David who sits on David’s throne will perfectly fulfill the role of the theocratic king. He will complete the redemption of God’s people, thus enabling them to achieve the promised victory with him (Ro 16:20).
After the description of David’s rule in its glory and success, ch 10-20 depict the darker side of his reign and describe David’s weaknesses and failures. Even though David remained a king after God’s own heart because he was willing to acknowledge his sin and repent (12:13), he nevertheless fell far short of the theocratic ideal and suffered the disciplinary results of his disobedience (12:10-12). His sin with Bathsheba (ch 11-12) and leniency both with the wickedness of his sons (13:12-39; 21; 14:1, 33; 19:4-6) and with the insubordination of Joab (3:28-39; 10:10, 23) led to intrigue, violence and bloodshed within his own family and the nation. Nonetheless the Lord was gracious to David, and his reign became a standard by which the reigns of later kings were measured.
1 & 2 Kings narrates the history of Israel during the period of the monarchy from the closing days of David’s rule until the time of the Babylonian exile. After an extensive account of Solomon’s reign, the narrative relates the division of the kingdom and then presents an interrelated account of developments within the two kingdoms. Special attention is given to the ministries of Elijah and Elisha in the northern kingdom, with almost a third of the book (nearly equal to the amount of narrative given to Solomon’s reign) devoted to God’s efforts through his prophets to turn that kingdom away from its apostasies back to covenant faithfulness.
Following Solomon’s reign, the kingdom was split in two. In the southern kingdom (Judah containing Jerusalem) all of the rulers were descendents of David, beginning with Solomon’s son Rehoboam (except Athaliah, who usurping of the throne interrupted the sequence for a few years). Kingship in the northern region (Israel), beginning with Jeroboam, was plagued with instability and violence.
Both Judah and Israel had each 19 kings. Athaliah, the wicked woman who ruled 7 years in Judah, usurped the throne and is not counted as a legal ruler.
Judah had but one dynasty, beginning with David, when the kingdom was still one, and continuing to the Babylonish captivity. The Books of Chronicles establish the fact of the unbroken family line of kings and priests and Judah through the Captivity and afterwards on down to Christ, the son of David, the Son of God.
Israel had nine different dynasties. On account of wickedness no kingly family was established on the throne throughout the duration of the kingdom, and in 721 B.C. Israel went into dispersion, under Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Today this nation is remembered as "The Ten Lost Tribes."
Judah had at least four good kings; four others were partially good. Israel had all wicked and idolatrous kings — not a one godly.
Israel remained a kingdom approximately 254 years. Judah remained a kingdom approximately 389 years — 135 years longer than Israel because some of Judah’s kings were godly.
Rulers following Solomon's reign in Judah (southern region) and Israel (northern region)...
Note: Summary info taken from the Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Chart taken from this link.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Class Schedule
- April 29 - Introduction
- May 6 - Session 1: Personal Pharaohs
- May 13 - Session 2: Why Idols?
- May 20 - Session 3: Lies
- May 27 - Session 4: The Problem with Idols
- June 3 - Session 5: Good Goodbyes
- June 10 - Session 6: God of Gods
- June 17 - Session 7: The Road Ahead
- June 24 - Session 8: Making Room
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