Spiritual Warfare Bible Verses - #1

Genesis 3:1,4 “1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"… 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.”


Deuteronomy 7:25-26 “25The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. 26And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.”

2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”

Job 1 & 2

Job 1:7-12 “7The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" 9Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? 10Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”

Job 1:20-22 “20Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21And he said,’Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

Job 2:2-6 “ 2And the LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 3And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason." 4Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face." 6And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life."

Job 2:9,10 “9Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." 10But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

Job 33:29-30 29"Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, 30to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life”

Job 35:9 “9"Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out; they call for help because of the arm of the mighty.”

Job 37:14 “Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God.”

Job 42:1-3,6 "1Then Job answered the LORD and said:2"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know….6therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Job 42:12 12And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.”

Gospel Verses - Eternal Life

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." John 6:37 "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:12-13 "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" Romans 8:16 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." John 5:24 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 "which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." 2 Timothy 1:12

Gospel Verses - Conversion

"Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'” John 3:3 "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God," John 1:12 "And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'” Acts 16:31 "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9 "For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'” Romans 10:13 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:3 "let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts;let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:7 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 "For he says, 'In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

Gospel Verses - Atonement

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24 "But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit" 1 Peter 3:18 "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." John 3:36

Gospel Verses - Rebellion

"but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." Isaiah 59:2 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment," Hebrews 9:27 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28

Gospel Verses - God

The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalms 19:1 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Leviticus 19:2

Forgotten God by Francis Chan - Audiobook FREE @ Christianaudio.com

Francis Chan's new book, Forgotten God, is available for free in the month of June 2010 at Christianaudio.com . Each month Christianaudio.com releases another free book online, don't miss out!

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips - #2 - The Holy Spirit's Work

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips - #2 - The Holy Spirit's Work from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13 "But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth." 1 Peter 1:2 “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood” Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”

Quote - Corrie Ten Boom

"Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible." Corrie Ten Boom

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) - Teacher Tips #1 - Preparing

Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) Teacher Tips - #1 - Preparing from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season”

Quote - Charles S. Robinson

"Success is the world's criterion of merit; fidelity is God's." Charles S. Robinson

Studying Millenials - Spiritual Beliefs & Practices

Lifeway Research has published data from it's study of millennial (born 1980 thru 1991: currently 19-30 years old) that show their spiritual beliefs. Summary: "Two-thirds of American 'Millennials' – those born between 1980 and 1991 – call themselves Christian, but far fewer pray or read the Bible daily, attend weekly worship services, or hold to historical positions on the Bible and its teachings" Practices:

• 31% pray by themselves at least once a day
• 20% never pray
• 8% pray with others on a daily basis
• 65% rarely or never pray with other people.
• 67% say they rarely or never do read "sacred texts"
• 8% read the Bible or other sacred texts on a daily basis
• 21% percent do so at least once a week
• 25% attend religious worship services once a week or more
• 66% rarely or never visit a church, synagogue, mosque or temple
• 20% meet with others at least monthly in a small group to study the Bible or other sacred texts, but 80 percent rarely or never do so

Beliefs:

• 65% identify themselves as Christian
• 14% say they are atheist or agnostic
• 14% list no religious preference
• 8% claim other religions
• 53% disagree (strongly or somewhat) that the Bible is the written Word of God and is totally accurate in all it teaches
• 46% agree strongly & 26% agree somewhat that God is a real being, not just a concept. 28% disagree somewhat or strongly
• 40% agree strongly or somewhat that the devil, or Satan, is not a real being but is just a symbol of evil
• 50% agree strongly or somewhat that "when he lived on earth, Jesus Christ was human and committed sins, like other people." Only 30% strongly disagree.
• 31% agree strongly that Jesus is the only path to heaven.
• 70% believe heaven in a real place; 60% believe hell is a real place.
• 25% believe they will go to heaven after they die, because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior
• 16% believe they will go to heaven after they die because they have tried their best to be a good person and live a good life
• 4% believe they will go to heaven after they die because "God loves all people and will not let any of them perish."

James 5:19-20 "My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." May we be a people used by God to turn many to worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Quote - William Booth

"God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the impossible." William Booth

Studying Millenials - Priorities of Life

Lifeway Research just summarized a study of Millenials (those born between 1980 & 1991: currently 19 to 30 years old) that shows what is most important in their lives. The findings... (permitted to list more than one priority)

• 61% place family at the top of their priority lists
• 25 % Friends
• 17% Education
• 16% Careers/jobs
• 13% Spouses/partners
• 13% Spirituality/religion
• 12% Finances
• 12% Happiness
• 11% Raising kids
• 10% Health
• 9% Activities
• 9% Well-being
• 5% The future
• 5% Nature/pets
• 4% Use of time

Some concerning aspects of this study:

• "two-thirds of those who indicate they trust Christ as Savior mention nothing about faith, religion or spirituality when asked to name what’s really important in their lives"
• “For many Millennials, Christianity is a family heirloom rather than a faith commitment. The Christian faith in America is being passed to a generation that is slow to embrace a relationship with Jesus Christ and even slower to treasure it.” - Thom Rainer

Family, friends, education, jobs, health, marriage, children, etc. are all good things to value. Unfortunately, when those areas of our life take priority over Jesus, they become god-things: idols.

Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me."

May we be a generation that treasures Christ above all else.

Weekly Video Idea - To Be or Not To Be

Got an idea today while talking to some Ministers of Education/Discipleship Pastors from across Kentucky about how we train and encourage our teachers and leaders. Since we can't meet weekly together, I thought maybe I could send out a short (1-2 minute) video via email and my blog. In these videos I'd share some short Scripture, ideas, resources, and encouragement as you prepare for your Sunday lesson. Please let me know if this is something you'd actually use and appreciate!

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips - Intro from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.

"remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins" James 5:20

Quote - Charles Spurgeon

"I believe in the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never had chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and he must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love." -Charles Spurgeon

Quote - John Wesley

"Do all the good you can by all the means you can in all the places you can at all the times you can to all the people you can as long as ever you can." John Wesley

Quote - C.S. Lewis

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." C.S. Lewis

Quote - A.W. Tozer

"Salvation is from our side a choice; from the divine side it is a seizing upon, an apprehending, a conquest by the Most High God. Our accepting and willing are reactions rather than actions." - A.W. Tozer

Biblical vs. Christian Counseling: the History

David Powlison, of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, has written a book (The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context) that seeks to explain the growth of the Biblical Counseling movement over the past few decades. It is important to understand in light of the many "Christian Counseling" practices that uphold man-centered truths and methods in place of God-centered Truth and methods when seeking to advise the hurting. "What Is Biblical Counseling? In principle, Christians believe that knowing Jesus Christ is the original and abiding "cure of the soul." But in practice, the church’s provision of personalized care and counsel has often been unthoughtful and unskillful. Psychiatry and psy- chotherapy (transliterations of two Greek words for "cure of the soul") claim to offer the deep truth that explains a human being. Beginning in the late 1960s, a biblical counseling movement sought to reclaim counseling for the church and provide a Christian alternative to mainstream psychiatry and psychotherapy. The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context is an informative and thought-provoking account of that movement. This book is an invaluable resource for those who want to understand the biblical counseling movement." - Publisher's Description This video is a short interview with David Powlison about his book. “It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this book. The ‘counseling wars’ of the past half century have ignited passions often characterized by labels rather than by careful analytic thought. This is the first broadly comprehensive history of these developments. Although Powlison is one of the important players, he takes extraordinary pains not to misrepresent those with whom he disagrees. Above all, while trying to be open to truth and insight whatever their source (after all, the reaches of common grace are vast), Powlison faithfully argues that the Christian faith must play a constitutive role in building a robust model of Christian counseling. Amen and Amen.”- D. A. Carson, Ph.D., Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; author of The Gagging of God, Christ and Culture Revisited, and An Introduction to the New Testament “I have watched with much interest the developments in Christian counseling over the past forty years. The issues discussed here are still very important, and this book is a good introduction to them. Even readers already familiar with this movement will learn new things. David’s book is entirely judicious, careful, and balanced in its treatment of Adams, his opponents, and the events affecting the biblical counseling movement. I hope the book attracts a large readership.”- John M. Frame, D.D., Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary; author of The Doctrine of the Christian Life HT: Justin Taylor

We are all theologians...

"We are all theologians, the question is whether what we know about God is true." -Josh Harris, Dug Down Deep "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." - A.W. Tozer This short, unique video gives you a picture of how we all ultimately have theological beliefs and why what we believe about God is incredibly important.

DugDownDeep_Carnahan.mov from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.