Here are some good posts for pastors:
Become an Iceberg Pastor – Andrew Haslam (TGC)
Five Questions about the Pastor’s Piety – Scott Oliphant (WTS)
What I’ve Learned in 20 Years of Ministry – Russell Moore
Author: Brian
Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Pastor
Sermon Songs: Ephesians 2:1-10
I once was dead in all my sin
But Jesus died for me
He rose again – I’m raised in Him
From sin’s pow-er set free
I once followed this fallen world
The devil, my own way
But Jesus came – his grace unfurled
That I might Him obey
I once lived under God’s just wrath
And on my way to hell
But God set me on a new path
That I with Him might dwell
Believe, this gospel now embrace
And for the lost let’s pray
To everyone proclaim His grace
And live for Him today
(To the tune of “Amazing Grace”)
Reflections on Genesis 6-8
God sends a flood on the earth, but saves Noah and his family. Consider what we learn about God and Noah, and how we should respond:
- God’s judgment – God hates sin. He sees the evil intentions, thoughts, and actions of mankind, and he purposes to make an end of it. Are you tempted to treat your sins lightly? Remember God hates your sin.
- God’s mercy – God shows favor to Noah (6:8), by making a covenant with him (6:18). In the midst of the flood, God remembers Noah (8:1). And God still shows his favor today by inviting us to enter into a new covenant through faith in Jesus Christ. Have you passed from God’s judgment into his mercy?
- Noah’s walk with God – The passage tells us that Noah walked with God (6:9). What did this walk look like? It was characterized first by faith. Noah believed God’s announcement of the flood and the way of escape. We could reasonably conclude from 5:32 and 7:6, that Noah spent 100 years acting on that faith by building the ark. His faith led to action. Twice we are told Noah did all that God commanded him (6:22, 7:5). His walk with God also gave him a testimony – he was a righteous man, blameless in his generation (6:9). He was not perfect, but he stood out from all the evil going on around him. How is your walk with God? Is it characterized by faith leading to action? How is your testimony among the people you know? How do you need to move forward in your walk with God?
Classic Quote
There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.
– John Calvin
Genesis 6-11: Two Ways
Describe the way of wickedness from these verses:
6:5 (dissect the verse word by word) –
6:11-13 –
8:21 –
9:20-23 –
11:1-4 (compare 9:7, 12:2) –
In what ways are we tempted to follow the sins of Babel? Why don’t we need to? What should we do instead?
In summary, what do you learn about humanity from these verses? (Compare Romans 3:10-18, Ephesians 2:1-3)
In contrast, Noah walked with God. From Noah’s example, what does it look like to walk with God? (See also Genesis 3:8, 5:21-24, Psalm 89:15, Hebrews 11:7)
What is required if we are going to walk with God (6:8, Hebrews 11:7)?
How do you need to grow in your walk with God?
Passion Points
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
3 Reminders as You Enter the New Year 2016 – Brian G. Najapfour
Ten Check Up Questions for the New Year – Kevin DeYoung
Advice for Another Year of Bible Reading – Bruce Ware (DG)
12 Promises for Perseverance in Bible Reading – Dave Zuleger (DG)
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshiping the Lord with your local church!
A Refusal To Let God Be God
Sin is not primarily about breaking rules,
although it results in that;
it is not at bottom about self-centeredness,
although it always is that.
It is at bottom a refusal to let God be God over life,
to give him the center, the focus,
the glory that are his.
– David Wells
Reflections on Genesis 3-5
Genesis 3 is the saddest story ever penned, as mankind rebels against their Creator. Notice:
- Satan tempts Eve to question God’s goodness and honesty. When are you tempted to question God’s goodness and the truth of His Word?
- Eve chooses to seek satisfaction (“good for food…delight to the eyes”) in forbidden fruit rather than in her Creator and the good things he gave her. What forbidden fruit tempts you?
- Rather than give glory to God, Eve chooses to seek her own glory (“you will be like God”). Whose glory are you seeking?
- Sin brings misery, not satisfaction. Their perfect relationship with God is broken (they hide from God and are cast out of the Garden). Their perfect relationship with each other is broken (Adam blames Eve; later Cain kills Abel). Pain enters God’s creation (childbearing will be painful). Work which was a joy now becomes toilsome, as creation is cursed with decay and thistles. Separated from the tree of life, Adam and Eve will die, as will their descendants (note the terrible repetition in chapter 5 – “…and he died”). When tempted by sin, remember the consequences.
- And yet in this sad story of our fall into sin, there is a small seed of hope in 3:15. Satan will bruise the heel of the woman’s offspring on a cross many years later. There on that cross, this man will defeat Satan by bruising his head. The penalty for sin will be paid, so that mankind might yet walk with God!
Application Questions
After meditating on God’s Word, I often find God pointing to one or two ways that I need to apply the passage to my life. These applications just “jump” out at me.
But what if an application doesn’t jump out? Or what if we want to consider further possible applications? Here are some good questions to help us apply God’s Word to our lives:
- Is there a promise to claim?
- Is there a truth to believe?
- Is there a false way of thinking (from our culture) that I need to reject?
- Is there a desire to embrace?
- Is there a corrupt desire (from our culture) that I need to reject?
- Is there a sin I need to confess and repent of?
- Is there a command I need to obey?
- Is there a good example I should follow?
- Is there a sinful example that I should learn from and avoid?
- How should this passage affect how I relate to God?
- How should this passage affect how I relate to people?
Reflections on Genesis 1-2
In Genesis 1-2, we are immediately introduced to God as the Creator of all things. In his role as Creator, we see:
- His Power – He simply spoke and it came to be. His power extends over all of his creation. There is nothing that can come against you that God cannot handle.
- His Wisdom – He ordered all things perfectly. If God can perfectly order all of creation, can you not trust him to wisely order your life?
- His Beauty – Having created such a beautiful world, what must God Himself be like? What joy to spend our lives and all of eternity getting to know Him better!
- His Provision – He provided the plants for food, a garden to live in, and a companion to enjoy. How many ways has he provided for you? Give thanks!
- His Authority – He made man and then commanded him. As our Creator, he has the right to command; we have the responsibility to obey.
- His Assignment – He gave man a task – to cultivate the earth and use it for his needs. God did not make you to be idle, but to serve him by working as he gives you strength.
- His Relational Nature – God says, “Let us make man in our image.” That “us” is the first hint of the Trinity – that God is one God in three persons enjoying eternal relationship with each other. When God created people, he entered into a relationship with them too. God is relational, and he made us in his image to be relational too. Our relationship with God and others is central to what it means to be human. How are you cultivating those relationships?
Brian J. Mikul 