Author: Brian

Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Pastor

Joshua 1-7: Follow God’s Plan

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) God is going to use Joshua to bring the people of Israel into the Promised Land, but Joshua must follow God’s plan.  What specific instructions is Joshua given in v8?

How might we apply this to our own lives?

(1) Joshua will face much conflict as he follows God’s plan. What assurances and instructions does God give to him in v5-9?

How might those assurances help you as you face conflict?

In what situations do you need to be strong and courageous?

(2, 6) What has Rahab heard about God and His plan?  Does she believe it?  How does she act on her belief (see Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25)?  What blessing befalls her (see Matthew 1:5)?

What significance does her story have for us today?

(5) Who appears to Joshua in v13-15?  Whose side is he on?  What lessons can we learn from this?

(3-6) What instructions does God give for crossing the Jordan River?  Is this a typical plan for crossing a river?  What happens?

What instructions does God give AFTER they cross the river (5:1-9)?  Does this seem like good military strategy?

What instructions does God give for taking Jericho?  Do you think this is a typical battle plan?  What happens?

When might obedience to God’s instructions seem a bit unusual or even crazy today?  What is required of us to obey God in those situations?  (What was required of Israel?)

(7) Achan failed to follow God’s instructions.  Why?  What were the results?  Who was affected by his sin?

Sermon Songs: Ephesians 5:8-14

On By BrianIn Ephesians Hymns

MusicNotes

Awake, arise now from the dead, And Christ will shine on you
No longer dark – but light instead, You have been made brand new
Do what is good and right and true, And bear the fruit of light
Discern what pleases God not you, Shun the unfruitful night

And as you radiate the light, A sharp contrast will show
Between the deeds of darkest night, And your good works that flow
Now some will seek to hide from sight, Their hatred for us grow
While some become children of light, Our Savior come to know

 (To the tune of “We Sing the Greatness of Our God”)

Cultivating Your Prayer Life

On By BrianIn Habit of Prayer

Today we continue our way through Joel Beeke’s little booklet, How Can I Cultivate Private Prayer?  On p5, Beeke writes:

Consider the tremendous potential of prayer.  It is nothing less than communion with the living God.

CultivatePrayerI am trying to keep this mind as I pray this week.  I don’t want to just work through a list of needs (though I do want to do that).  I want to commune with God.  I want to recognize who I am talking to, and enjoy being able to talk to my Creator and Sustainer and Savior and King.  I want to rest in the love of my Father as His beloved child as I come before Him.

Through Jesus, we can draw near to God Himself and commune with Him.  What a great blessing to remember and exercise.  May God help us to commune with God this week!

 

Exodus-Deuteronomy: Four Themes

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(Exodus 11-13, 14-15, 20) Describe the final plague.  How do the people of Israel escape?  How does this point to Jesus (I Corinthians 5:7)?

Every year, the people of Israel were to re-enact the Passover event.  How does Jesus adapt the Passover festival for the New Covenant (Luke 22:14-20)?

Through the plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea, God frees his people from slavery in Egypt.  How does this point to Jesus (John 8:34-36)?

How did the people respond to their salvation (14:31, 15:1-21)?  How should we respond to our salvation (see I Peter 1:3-9, 17-19)?

What further response did God expect the people to have in 20:1-21?  What does God expect of us (see I Peter 1:14-16)?

(Leviticus 1-9, 17) What arrangement did God make for when the people failed to obey God’s commands?

How does this point to Jesus (Hebrews 9:24-26)?

(Exodus 19-24, Deuteronomy 5-32) These passages present to the people of Israel what we call the Mosaic Covenant.  It was first given at Mt. Sinai (Exodus) and renewed as the people prepared to enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy).  How does this covenant begin (Exodus 20:2, Deuteronomy 5:6)?

What then follows (Exodus 20-23, Deuteronomy 5-26)?

Notice then the condition.  What will happen if they obey (Exodus 19:5-6, 23:22; Deuteronomy 28:1-14)?

What will happen if they disobey (Deuteronomy 27:15-26, 28:15-68)?

How does this play out in the history of Israel?

How does Jesus address the Mosiac Covenant for us?

  • Matthew 5:17, I Peter 2:22 –
  • Galatians 3:10-14 –
  • Hebrews 7:22 & 8:6, 13 –

(Exodus 25-29) What was the main purpose of the tabernacle (25:8, 29:45-46)?

How does the tabernacle point forward to Jesus (John 1:14)?

To the church (Ephesians 2:19-22)?

To the Christian (I Corinthians 6:19-20)?

To the future kingdom (Revelation 21:3, 22)?

How should we respond to these truths?

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

What to do When You Are in a Spiritual Dry Spell – Scott Slayton

On “Stranger Things” and Being a Big Prude – Tim Challies

The Evangelical Drug of Choice – Phillip Holmes (DG)

How Skipping Church Affects Our Children – Micah Anglo

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church!

Sermon Songs: Ephesians 5:1-8

On By BrianIn Ephesians Hymns

MusicNotes

I once was living in the dark
Far from my God above
But then the Father came to mark
Me as His child of love

Now in his light and love I walk
Turn from sexual sin
And coveting and all foul talk
For God my heart did win

No more of what should not be named
Within God’s family
I am God’s child, Christ took my blame
That with Him I might be

 (To the tune of “Amazing Grace”)

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

IMG_4189

Part of the Lower Tahquamenon Falls near Newberry, MI

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Current

On By BrianIn Current Collection

Here are some helpful posts (and a video) addressing our culture’s view of sex and sexuality:

Rosaria Butterfield: No free passes – Marvin Olasky (World)

Almost Everything the Media Tell You About Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Is Wrong – Ryan Anderson (TDS)

Keller, Moore, DeYoung on How to Speak to Our Culture About Sex (Video) – Ryan Troglin (TGC)

Cultivating Your Prayer Life

On By BrianIn Habit of Prayer

CultivatePrayerOur Sunday School class just finished two weeks reviewing the Biblical principles found in Joel Beeke’s booklet, How Can I Cultivate Private Prayer?  I can’t help but think that if I could just digest and apply these principles, that my prayer life, and so my walk with God, would grow in incredible ways.  To that end, I am going to take a section each week to reread, ponder, and seek to apply to my prayer life.

And I want to invite you to join me on this quest for growth.  First, you need the book, which you can order here, or if you have Kindle you can get it here.  Then read along with me each week.  I will have a blog related to the weekly section each Wednesday.  On p2, Joel Beeke writes:

Prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life and deserves our careful attention and cultivation. 

That being so, let’s strive to grow in this important habit.

Genesis 1-50: Major Themes

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(Genesis 1-2) The Bible begins with God creating the world.  What do you learn about God from these two chapters?

How do you think we should respond toward Him?

In what special way did God make people (1:26-27)?

Because of this, we have great value.  How should this affect the way we think about ourselves?  How we treat others?

(Genesis 3) Describe the first temptation in v1-6.  What similarities do you find today?

What are the consequences of their sin (v8-24)?

What hope does God give them in v15?

(Genesis 6-8) Describe humanity’s fallen condition (6:5, 11-13; 8:21)?

What did God do in response to man’s wickedness?  What does this tell you about God’s view of sin?

What is our only hope of escape (6:8)?

(Genesis 12-36) What promises did God make to Abraham in 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17; 15:1-6, 18-20; 17:4-8?

How do the following verses relate to these promises which we call the Abrahamic Covenant?

  • 21:1-5 –
  • 26:1-5 –
  • 28:10-17 –

How does God begin to fulfill these promises in Exodus through Deuteronomy?

How do these promises relate to you (Galatians 3:7-9, 16, 29)?

How did Abraham respond to God’s promises, and what was the result (15:6)?

How does this pattern relate to us (Romans 4:1-5, 23-25)?

(Genesis 37-50) What examples do you see of God’s sovereignty (reign, control) in the life of Joseph?

Describe the interplay between human actions and God’s sovereignty according to Joseph in 45:5-8 and 50:20.  How does that encourage you?

How is the cross the ultimate example of 50:20 (see Acts 4:24-28)?