Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Talk Tuesday - GROW - Bible Study

When I first became a Christian I would read devotionals, such as, "The Daily Bread."  Then I began reading the bible passages .  I started with the New Testament and then read the Old Testament.  As I began to grow, I started to attend a bible study group in my church.  It was a little nerve wrecking at first but it was good to be among believers, sharing and growing together.  It is really important to join a good bible study group.  Find one that you feel comfortable with.  If you did not know, we started an online bible study, which is posted every Friday.  You are welcomed to join us but it is important to join a bible group where you actually meet and fellowship with people.

There are many ways to read the Bible, but there is one that helped me a lot. It's by by Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter.  First you read a small passage from the Bible.  Then you ask yourself three questions:

1.  What does the passage say? (list facts)
2.  What does the passage mean? (lessons from the facts)
3.  What does the passage mean to me?

A good explanation of this method can be seen at
http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/resources/video/watch-learning-hear-his-voice-workshop/

Share with us the method you use to read the bible.  When do you read the bible and how often?  The point of this GROW series is to help one another GROW by sharing our experiences and encouraging each other.  And remember to join us on the weekends for the online Bible study.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Bible Study Weekend - John 3:22-36



John 3:22-36

John the Baptist's Testimony About Jesus

22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."

27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.

31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."


Questions:

1. John said,"He must become greater; I must become less."  How has Jesus become greater in your life?

2. John testifies about the truth of Jesus, do you find it hard to share about Jesus with people?

3. Do you believe that, "whoever believes in the Son has eternal life?"  What brought you to this truth?

Monday, September 21, 2009

Movie Monday - Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story - Movie Trailer

This is the trailer for the movie "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson story." You have to take a look at this movie. His story is very inspiring.  The movie is out on DVD now.  Check it out.

Sorry we missed Bible study last weekend.  We will continue it this weekend.

God Bless.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Talk Tuesday - GROW - Prayer

Once you have received Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, there are 5 things to do in order to GROW.

1. Prayer
2. Bible Study
3. Fellowship
4. Worship
5. Ministry

(These points were adapted from http://www.wcg.org/lit/church/pamphlet/growing.htm)

God wants a relationship with you, so you need to take time to talk to Him. Prayer is talking with God. The same way you would talk to a friend. If you been a Christian a while, how has your prayer life changed? Do you pray more often or less? How has your prayer life changed your relationship with God? Share your experience with us so that other people can learn how to pray. You never know who you will bless.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Bible Study Weekend - John 3:1-21



John 3:1-21


Jesus Teaches Nicodemus


1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."


3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."


4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"


5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."


9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.


10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.


16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Questions:

1. What does it mean to be born again?

2. What does John 3:16 mean to you?

3. How did you come to believe in Jesus? When did you accept His offer of salvation and how has it changed your life?

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Talk Tuesday-Grow

What does Jesus mean to you? What has He done for you? How has Jesus made Himself known in your life? If you have a moment, I urge you to look at Monday's Tangle Video which Andrew posted. It shows the baptismal testimonies of many believers in a unique and touching way. It will move you to tears, as it did me. I began to weep with the powerful realization of God's love. Yet, "We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19 What love the Father has for us, His creation, that He would give us His ONE and ONLY Son so that we would have eternal life.


"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16


Some say the purpose of life is the pursuit of happiness. That is too small a thing for the Omnipotent, Magnificent God of Heaven and Earth-the Great I AM, Yahweh. He gave us earthly life and offers us eternal life with Him. The way to the Father is through the Son.


'Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ' John 14:6


"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Revelations 3:20


Jesus is waiting for us to ask Him into our hearts to be Lord and Saviour of our souls. Jesus is the ultimate sacrificial atonement for our sins. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1John 1:9 All we have to do is invite Him into our lives.


'That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.' Romans 10:9-10


Now, once you are saved, you must GROW.


"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:1-5


How do you GROW? What do you nourish yourself with? How are you to be certain that you are doing the right thing? Why do you need to GROW?

Monday, September 7, 2009

Movie Monday - Cardboard Testimonies

We are starting a new series on growing and what better way to begin the series than with a video of creative testimonies from a baptism. There is nothing as amazing as seeing lives changed for Christ. Share with us what you experienced at your baptism. I hope this touches you as much as it ministered to me.


Thursday, September 3, 2009

Bible Study Weekend - John 2:12-25



John 2:12-25


Jesus Clears the Temple


12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.


13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"


17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"


19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."


20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.


23Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.


Questions:

1. Why was Jesus so angry?

2. Why did the Jews demand a miraculous sign to prove His authority?

3. Jesus says,"Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." What does this mean to you now?

Do you have zeal for the things of God? Should you have more?

Prayer Wall - September



We had some really good testimonies for August. Also, we will continue to pray for the unanswered prayer request. You can make new prayer request for the month of September by clicking on the comments link below. Remember to pray for one another.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The winner is Beloved



We want to thank everyone for participating in the contest. It was a lot of fun. We may have more contests like this in the future.

Note: Beloved, we sent you and email so check it for further instructions.

Talk Tuesday – I have little faith… help me.

So you think you have little faith. You pray and God does not answer your prayers. You see God moving in other people’s lives, but what about yours? You cry, “God help me…. Do you hear me?”


Jesus says, in Matthew 17:20


"Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."


I often wondered about this verse in the Bible, especially when I became a Christian. I trusted Him in some situations and not in others. One minute I had super faith, and then in other situations my faith was week. When my wife went through surgery God helped me through it all. He often sent people of great faith to encourage us. Sometimes I would look at some of these people of faith and wish I had faith like them. God ministered to me that these people had to go through many trials to have the faith they possess now. God said, ”Just trust me.”

When we were about to get married, we were looking for a few verses in the Bible for the reading of the scripture, so we asked Tash’s dad. He gave us a passage from Proverbs 3. I especially held on to Proverbs 3:5-6:


Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.


No matter how small we think our faith is all we have to do is trust Him and He will make our path straight.


So what concerns do you have to put at the foot of the Cross? What problems do you have to put at Jesus’ feet? All He is asking from us is to trust Him. So take that mustard seed of faith and use it for His honor and glory.

Check out Movie Monday for an idea of how small a mustard seed really is.