Quote - John Newton
"Their [legalists'] experience seems to lead them to talk of themselves, of the change that is wrought in them, and the much that depends upon their own watchfulness and striving. We likewise would be thankful if we could perceive a change wrought in us by the power of grace; we desire to be found watching. But whenever our hopes are most alive, it is less from a view of imperfect beginnings of grace in our hearts than from an apprehension of him who is our all in all. His person, his love, his sufferings, his intercession, compassion, fulness and faithfulness - these are our delightful themes, which leave us little leisure, when in our best frames, to speak of ourselves." - John Newton
Quote - John Newton
"Satan labours to drive unstable souls from one extreme to another, and has too often succeeded. Wearied with vain endeavors to keep the law, that they might obtain life by it [legalism], and afterwards taking up with a notion of the Gospel devoid of power [antinomianism], they have at length despised that obedience that is the honour of the Christian, and essentially belongs to his character, and have abused the grace of God to licentiousness. But we have not so learned Christ." John Newton
God's Call - Pastoral Wisdom on the Ministry Call
John Bisagno – Letters to Timothy - Read Charles Spurgeon’s “How to Know the Call of the Ministry” in Lectures to My Students…summarizes the five main points that influenced him
1. Desire – “There was a time when I was passionate about the music ministry, but simultaneously that passion began to fade and a new passion to preach begins to grow. I wanted it more than anything else, and I knew it to be the call of God. He will put the desire in the sincere heart to do what he wants done…if you can do anything else but preach, by all means, don’t preach. But if the passion burns, then you must preach. If it is your all-consuming, magnificent obsession, then do it.” (34-35)
2. Ability – “This is not to say you will be the greatest orator….God gives us some natural abilities and gifts to do what he wants us to do…If you have the ability to organize your thoughts and express them, let alone some special skills in communication, and this is reinforced with a passion to sue them, then the call of God is indicated.” (35)
3. Opportunity – “Where God leaves us to serve and gifts us to serve, he provides opportunity to serve. Open and closed doors are important in reading the hand of God in our lives…God will open the door for you to do what he wants you to do. A closed door is usually an indication of wrong timing or a detour.” (35)
4. Blessing – “There should be some degree of visible affirmation of your ministry as you pursue it.” (35-36)
5. The Opinion of Others – “Discuss your decision with those in whom you have great spiritual confidence. Ask their advice; seek their counsel. Let them hear your heart, and listen to them.” (36)
“Find God’s tailor-made will for you and do it…Don’t be deterred. If God has called you, God will use you…don’t drift from your call. Better to be on a side street in Calcutta in the will of God than in the White House in Washington, D.C., out of his will. If you’re called to be a servant of the king, don’t stoop to be president. The body of Christ has many parts and many different kinds of folks, and the toes are just as important as the hands.” (38)
Curtis C. Thomas – Practical Wisdom for Pastors: Words of encouragement and counsel for a lifetime of ministry (21)
1. “Does the man reach out for the work?”
2. “Is he qualified biblically?”
3. “Does he possess the gifts necessary to fulfill the functions?”
4. “Do the elders and the church think he is gifted and morally qualified?”
5. “Are his life and doctrine sound?”
6. “Will he live as an example before the flock?”
Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, “The Call to Ministry”
1. “an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work…this desire must be a thoughtful one…the desire I have spoken of must be thoroughly disinterested…[no] other motive than the glory of God and the good of souls…[a desire] that continues with us, a passion which bears the test of trial” (27-28)
2. “aptness to teach and some measure of the other qualities needful for the office of a public instructor…mere ability to edify, and aptness to teach, is not enough; there must be other talents to complete the pastoral character. Sound judgment and solid experience must instruct you; gentle manners and loving affections must sway you; firmness and courage must be manifest; and tenderness and sympathy must not be lacking…Gifts administrative in ruling well…be fitted to lead, prepared to endure, and able to perservere…read carefully the qualifications of a bishop, given in 1 Tim. iii. 2-7 and in Titus i. 6-9” (28-31)
3. “must see a measure of conversion-work going on under his efforts…if the Lord gives you no zeal for souls…avoid the pulpit as your heart’s peace and your future salvation” (31-32)
4. “your preaching should be acceptable to the people of God…none of you can be pastors without the loving consent of the flock…the sheep will know the God-sent shepherd” (32-33)
John Newton’s letter to a friend on the call to ministry:
1. “A warm and earnest desire to be employed in this service…[not] from a selfish principle…[but] from the Spirit of God”
2. “some competent sufficiency as to gifts, knowledge, and utterance”
3. “a gradual train of circumstances pointing out the means, the time, the place, of actually entering upon the work”
1. Desire – “There was a time when I was passionate about the music ministry, but simultaneously that passion began to fade and a new passion to preach begins to grow. I wanted it more than anything else, and I knew it to be the call of God. He will put the desire in the sincere heart to do what he wants done…if you can do anything else but preach, by all means, don’t preach. But if the passion burns, then you must preach. If it is your all-consuming, magnificent obsession, then do it.” (34-35)
2. Ability – “This is not to say you will be the greatest orator….God gives us some natural abilities and gifts to do what he wants us to do…If you have the ability to organize your thoughts and express them, let alone some special skills in communication, and this is reinforced with a passion to sue them, then the call of God is indicated.” (35)
3. Opportunity – “Where God leaves us to serve and gifts us to serve, he provides opportunity to serve. Open and closed doors are important in reading the hand of God in our lives…God will open the door for you to do what he wants you to do. A closed door is usually an indication of wrong timing or a detour.” (35)
4. Blessing – “There should be some degree of visible affirmation of your ministry as you pursue it.” (35-36)
5. The Opinion of Others – “Discuss your decision with those in whom you have great spiritual confidence. Ask their advice; seek their counsel. Let them hear your heart, and listen to them.” (36)
“Find God’s tailor-made will for you and do it…Don’t be deterred. If God has called you, God will use you…don’t drift from your call. Better to be on a side street in Calcutta in the will of God than in the White House in Washington, D.C., out of his will. If you’re called to be a servant of the king, don’t stoop to be president. The body of Christ has many parts and many different kinds of folks, and the toes are just as important as the hands.” (38)
Curtis C. Thomas – Practical Wisdom for Pastors: Words of encouragement and counsel for a lifetime of ministry (21)
1. “Does the man reach out for the work?”
2. “Is he qualified biblically?”
3. “Does he possess the gifts necessary to fulfill the functions?”
4. “Do the elders and the church think he is gifted and morally qualified?”
5. “Are his life and doctrine sound?”
6. “Will he live as an example before the flock?”
Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, “The Call to Ministry”
1. “an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work…this desire must be a thoughtful one…the desire I have spoken of must be thoroughly disinterested…[no] other motive than the glory of God and the good of souls…[a desire] that continues with us, a passion which bears the test of trial” (27-28)
2. “aptness to teach and some measure of the other qualities needful for the office of a public instructor…mere ability to edify, and aptness to teach, is not enough; there must be other talents to complete the pastoral character. Sound judgment and solid experience must instruct you; gentle manners and loving affections must sway you; firmness and courage must be manifest; and tenderness and sympathy must not be lacking…Gifts administrative in ruling well…be fitted to lead, prepared to endure, and able to perservere…read carefully the qualifications of a bishop, given in 1 Tim. iii. 2-7 and in Titus i. 6-9” (28-31)
3. “must see a measure of conversion-work going on under his efforts…if the Lord gives you no zeal for souls…avoid the pulpit as your heart’s peace and your future salvation” (31-32)
4. “your preaching should be acceptable to the people of God…none of you can be pastors without the loving consent of the flock…the sheep will know the God-sent shepherd” (32-33)
John Newton’s letter to a friend on the call to ministry:
1. “A warm and earnest desire to be employed in this service…[not] from a selfish principle…[but] from the Spirit of God”
2. “some competent sufficiency as to gifts, knowledge, and utterance”
3. “a gradual train of circumstances pointing out the means, the time, the place, of actually entering upon the work”
God's Call - Specific Ministry Calls in the Bible
When we think about one's 'call' in Christian ministry, it is important to evaluate it in light of Scripture. Here are some examples and general truths that might be helpful in considering God's Ministry Call.
Satan – Beware the False Call of Satan
o Adam & Eve – “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'?" Genesis 3:1
o False Prophets - “Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:32
o False Teachers – “they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3b,4
o Anti-Christ – “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.” 1 John 2:22
Abraham – Step Away from the Familiar when Called
o “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1
Moses – Don’t Make Excuses when God Calls
o “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” Exodus 4:12
Aaron – Don’t Call Yourself
o “No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was” Hebrews 5:4
Isaiah – Be Willing to Answer God’s Call without Qualifications
o “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8
Jonah – Don’t Run Away from God’s Call
o “But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish” Jonah 1:3
Jeremiah – Go to Whomever and Speak Whatever God Calls You To Do
o “I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations….Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD…Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.’" Jeremiah 1:5-9
Ezekiel – Follow even when God’s Call is Difficult
o “he said to me, ‘Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me” Ezekiel 2:3
Disciples Chosen – God’s Call Means He Chose You & Appointed You to Bear Fruit
o “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:16
Sending of the Twelve – Answer God’s Dangerous Call
o “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town… I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:14, 16
Peter – Do Not Doubt God’s Call
o “’Lord, if it's you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ’Come,’ he said… Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’“ Matthew 14:28,29a,31
Jesus to the Cross – God’s Call is for God’s Will
o “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” Luke 22:42
o “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” – Romans 12:1-2
Disciples Sent – God’s Call involves Great Power and Distance
o “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8
Christ’s Ambassadors – God’s Call is for Us to be Messengers
o “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Paul & Barnabas – Be Willing to Part Godly Company in Order to Follow God’s Will
o “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.” Acts 15:39,40
Paul – God’s Call Often Involves Unplanned Situations and Unfinished Work
o “23But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain.” Romans 15:23,24a
Elder/Shepherd/Pastor/Overseer/Bishop – God’s Call has Standards
o “2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.” 1 Timothy 3:2-7 (also Titus 1:6-9)
Satan – Beware the False Call of Satan
o Adam & Eve – “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'?" Genesis 3:1
o False Prophets - “Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:32
o False Teachers – “they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3b,4
o Anti-Christ – “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.” 1 John 2:22
Abraham – Step Away from the Familiar when Called
o “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1
Moses – Don’t Make Excuses when God Calls
o “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” Exodus 4:12
Aaron – Don’t Call Yourself
o “No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was” Hebrews 5:4
Isaiah – Be Willing to Answer God’s Call without Qualifications
o “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8
Jonah – Don’t Run Away from God’s Call
o “But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish” Jonah 1:3
Jeremiah – Go to Whomever and Speak Whatever God Calls You To Do
o “I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations….Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD…Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.’" Jeremiah 1:5-9
Ezekiel – Follow even when God’s Call is Difficult
o “he said to me, ‘Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me” Ezekiel 2:3
Disciples Chosen – God’s Call Means He Chose You & Appointed You to Bear Fruit
o “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:16
Sending of the Twelve – Answer God’s Dangerous Call
o “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town… I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:14, 16
Peter – Do Not Doubt God’s Call
o “’Lord, if it's you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ’Come,’ he said… Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’“ Matthew 14:28,29a,31
Jesus to the Cross – God’s Call is for God’s Will
o “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” Luke 22:42
o “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” – Romans 12:1-2
Disciples Sent – God’s Call involves Great Power and Distance
o “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8
Christ’s Ambassadors – God’s Call is for Us to be Messengers
o “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Paul & Barnabas – Be Willing to Part Godly Company in Order to Follow God’s Will
o “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.” Acts 15:39,40
Paul – God’s Call Often Involves Unplanned Situations and Unfinished Work
o “23But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain.” Romans 15:23,24a
Elder/Shepherd/Pastor/Overseer/Bishop – God’s Call has Standards
o “2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.” 1 Timothy 3:2-7 (also Titus 1:6-9)
Christian Leadership Quotes
"The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve." - John Stott
"The Church is the one institution that exists for those outside it." - William Tyndale
"Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless." -Francis Schaeffer
"It is a contradiction to be a true Christian and not humble." - Richard Baxter
"I believe that in the end the truth will conquer." - John Wycliffe
"The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church...grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil." -Leonard Ravenhill
"Oh, young man, character is worth more than money, character is worth more than anything else in this wide world." - D.L. Moody
"Let us never put confidence in man, or in any sanctity of position, office, or dress. If apostleship did not make Judas a saint, neither will position, office, nor dress make thee a saint." -Johann Ferus
"Once in seven years I burn all my sermons; for it is a shame, if I cannot write better sermons now than I did seven years ago." - John Wesley
"If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth..." - C.S. Lewis
"Character is not made in a crisis, it is only exhibited." - Robert Freeman
"A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint." - Francis Bacon
"Whatever subject I preach, I do not stop until I reach the Savior, the Lord Jesus, for in Him are all things." - Charles Spurgeon
"With their doctrine they build, and with their lives they destroy." - Augustine
"If you plan to build a tall house of virtues, you must first lay deep foundations of humility." -Augustine
"We are building many splendid churches in this country, but we are not providing leaders to run them. I would rather have a wooden church with a splendid parson than a splendid church with a wooden parson" - Samuel Smith Drury
"What a man says and what a man is must stand together." -Maltbie Davenport Babcock
"The highest and most profitable lesson is the true knowledge and lowly esteem of ourselves." Thomas A' Kempis
"Men show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they think laughable." -Johann Wolfgang Goethe
"Truth in humble dress meets with few admirers." -Edward Stillingfleet
"As a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth." -Thomas Aquinas
"Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificied on the altar of conformity and popularity." - Charles Spurgeon
"Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults." -John Calvin
"I spent twenty years of my life trying to recruit people out of local churches and into missions structures so that they could be involved in fulfilling God's global mission. Now I have another idea. Let's take God's global mission and put it right in the middle of the local church!" - George Miley
"Hypocrisy desires to seem good rather than to be so; honesty desires to be good rather than seem so." -Athur Warwick
"the pulpit is never to be the ladder by which ambition is to climb" - Charles Spurgeon
http://www.christianquotes.org/
"The Church is the one institution that exists for those outside it." - William Tyndale
"Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless." -Francis Schaeffer
"It is a contradiction to be a true Christian and not humble." - Richard Baxter
"I believe that in the end the truth will conquer." - John Wycliffe
"The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church...grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil." -Leonard Ravenhill
"Oh, young man, character is worth more than money, character is worth more than anything else in this wide world." - D.L. Moody
"Let us never put confidence in man, or in any sanctity of position, office, or dress. If apostleship did not make Judas a saint, neither will position, office, nor dress make thee a saint." -Johann Ferus
"Once in seven years I burn all my sermons; for it is a shame, if I cannot write better sermons now than I did seven years ago." - John Wesley
"If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth..." - C.S. Lewis
"Character is not made in a crisis, it is only exhibited." - Robert Freeman
"A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint." - Francis Bacon
"Whatever subject I preach, I do not stop until I reach the Savior, the Lord Jesus, for in Him are all things." - Charles Spurgeon
"With their doctrine they build, and with their lives they destroy." - Augustine
"If you plan to build a tall house of virtues, you must first lay deep foundations of humility." -Augustine
"We are building many splendid churches in this country, but we are not providing leaders to run them. I would rather have a wooden church with a splendid parson than a splendid church with a wooden parson" - Samuel Smith Drury
"What a man says and what a man is must stand together." -Maltbie Davenport Babcock
"The highest and most profitable lesson is the true knowledge and lowly esteem of ourselves." Thomas A' Kempis
"Men show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they think laughable." -Johann Wolfgang Goethe
"Truth in humble dress meets with few admirers." -Edward Stillingfleet
"As a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth." -Thomas Aquinas
"Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificied on the altar of conformity and popularity." - Charles Spurgeon
"Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults." -John Calvin
"I spent twenty years of my life trying to recruit people out of local churches and into missions structures so that they could be involved in fulfilling God's global mission. Now I have another idea. Let's take God's global mission and put it right in the middle of the local church!" - George Miley
"Hypocrisy desires to seem good rather than to be so; honesty desires to be good rather than seem so." -Athur Warwick
"the pulpit is never to be the ladder by which ambition is to climb" - Charles Spurgeon
http://www.christianquotes.org/
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #8 - Information vs. Application
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips # 8 - Information vs. Application from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
James 1:22-25 " 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Quote - Athanasius
"The Bible is a book wholly inspired by God from beginning to end." - Athanasius, 367 A.D.
"God's Open Call" - Ministry and Pastoral Calling
I love Kevin Smith's sermon on "God's Open Call" at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is a tough, cutting, biblical explanation of a minister's call. It is helpful for anyone in or considering entering into ministry.
Quote - Martin Luther
“You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.” - Martin Luther
HT: Dr. Al Mohler
HT: Dr. Al Mohler
President G.W. Bush addresses Church Workers
A great short video from President G.W. Bush to encourage service within the church....
Also from President G.W.:
HT: Darryl Wilson
Also from President G.W.:
- a video on Small Groups
- a video on Children's Workers
HT: Darryl Wilson
Quote - Bruce Demarest
"It is significant that Jesus spoke more about the sorrows of hell than of the joys of heaven."
Bruce Demarest - The Cross and Salvation p. 30
Bruce Demarest - The Cross and Salvation p. 30
Quote - Ronald Reagan
"I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born."
Ronald Reagan, quoted in New York Times, September 22, 1980
HT: Angie Carl
Ronald Reagan, quoted in New York Times, September 22, 1980
HT: Angie Carl
Humility
Embeded below and linked HERE is a great video interview by James MacDonald of C.J. Mahaney titled "Grace Through the Humble to the Humble" (available through The Gospel Coalition).
Cohabitation Statistics - The Consequences
In "Together Too Soon" in World Magazine, author Mike McManus presents some saddening statistics concerning the growing trend of cohabitation.
Hebrews 13:4 "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."
- "The average cohabitation last 18 months"
- "Only 30% [of cohabitations] 'transitioned into marriage'"
- "the 70% of couples who separate after living together experience a 'premarital divorce,' which can be as painful as a real divorce"
- "Marriages that are preceded by living together have 50% higher disruption rates than marriages without premarital cohabitation"
- "those who cohabited even only for one month displayed poorer communication and problem solving skills than those who had not lived together first"
- "the majority of non-marital births (52%) occurred within cohabiting unions...13 million single-parent families cost taxpayers $20,000 per family in 2004, a total of $260 billion. Half of that total comes from unwed births to cohabiting moms"
Hebrews 13:4 "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."
The Gospel Coalition - Interview with Francis Chan
What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.
The Gospel Coalition Council members Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris ask Francis Chan why he stepped down as senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, and what he plans to do next.
Quote - Edward Griffin
"For your own sake, and your children's sake, cherish and revere him whom you have chosen to be your pastor. Already he loves you; and he will soon love you as ‘bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.' It will be equally your duty and your interest to make his labors as pleasant to him as possible. Do not demand too much. Do not require visits too frequent. Should he spend, in this way, half of the time which some demand, he must wholly neglect his studies, if not sink early under the burden. Do not report to him all the unkind things which may be said against him; nor frequently, in his presence, allude to opposition, if opposition should arise. Though he is a minister of Christ, consider that he has the feelings of a man."
Edward Griffin, "A Tearful Farewell from a Faithful Pastor," 1809
HT: Jamie Dunlop at 9 Marks Ministries
Edward Griffin, "A Tearful Farewell from a Faithful Pastor," 1809
HT: Jamie Dunlop at 9 Marks Ministries
Missions Statistic
"Out of the global increase of 77,000 affiliated Christians every day, 70,000 (or 91%) can be found in Africa, Asia, or Latin America." --David Barrett, "Missiometrics 2008"
HT: Dr. George Martin, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
HT: Dr. George Martin, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Quote - Dr. Chuck Lawless
"More than 80 percent of the churches on this continent are plateaued or declining. Despite having more than 350,000 churches, the United States is now one of the top four lost nations in the world" - Dr. Chuck Lawless in "Becoming a Great Commission Church"
Motivational Bible Verses - For Evangelism
These Bible verses motivate and inspire me in my Christian walk...especially when it comes to evangelism!
1 Peter 2:4-5,9-12 “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
Romans 12:1-2 “1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Matthew 25:21,23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'”
Luke 10:2,16 “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field….He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
1 Corinthians 9:24b-27 “Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
1 Peter 3:14-15 “14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”
2 Timothy 4:6-7 “6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”
Mark 4:20 “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown”
Matthew 13:23 “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
1 Peter 2:4-5,9-12 “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
Romans 12:1-2 “1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Matthew 25:21,23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'”
Luke 10:2,16 “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field….He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
1 Corinthians 9:24b-27 “Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
1 Peter 3:14-15 “14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”
2 Timothy 4:6-7 “6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”
Mark 4:20 “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown”
Matthew 13:23 “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Top 5 Research Tips & Tricks
I took a research class a few weeks ago and had several people asking for me to share some lessons learned (some of which I wish I learned 10 years ago!). Some of this is tailored towards seminary-type research but the same principles apply no matter the discipline...hope it helps!
Lesson # 1 - Citation/Reference Management Software
• These programs will help you pull bibliography information off of library search engines or online bookstores (Amazon through Zotero). They then store this info so when you make a citation they can generate endnotes, footnotes, and bibliographies in the format/style you need.
• FREE – http://www.zotero.org/ , www.tinyurl.com/zoterosummary
• PC Purchase – http://www.endnote.com/ , http://www.refworks.com/ (note: some of these work on Macs as well)
• Mac Purchase – Sente (http://www.thirdstreetsoftware.com/ ) , Bookends ( http://www.sonnysoftware.com/ )
• Wikipedia Comparison
Lesson # 2 – Meet with your Librarian
• Ask your librarian to help you. Schedule an appointment with them. Often they can direct you to specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. that might be a good starting point for your paper. They can also assist you with searching their catalog or in borrowing resources from other libraries.
• Residents of Kentucky can check out from any public library (i.e. UK, UL) in Kentucky with a KY Driver’s License.
Lesson # 3 – Online Library Resources
• Invest some time online in searching your library’s website. Often you will find things prior to your library trip that can save you valuable time. Depending on your school’s library, you may be able to find entire journal articles, book texts, and dissertations that you can read and search from the comfort of your own home.
• My library has a great explanation online of how to do quality research
• Free online books catalog
Lesson # 4 – Google Books & Scholar
• Google has done an incredible job, despite lots of opposition and legal troubles, at scanning and uploading tons of articles and books. You can search against the text, and if you do it well (see lesson # 5), can find exactly what you are looking for. If you search for a particular book and keep scrolling beyond it on the search page, you will also see citations of other works to it…which then provides you other relevant works applicable to your paper topic.
• Google books & Google scholar
• Google search - “google limiters”
Lesson # 5 – Searches – Boolean & Subject
• Use Library of Congress subject headings to search for works (sometimes easily found on online searches of your website...if not, ask your librarian)
• Use Boolean logic to search online and within your library’s search engine
Some other Boolean tips:
• Boolean search: AND OR NOT (all caps)
AND = + (plus sign)
AND = & (ampersand)
OR = | (pipe sign)
NOT = ~ (tilde)
( ) – multiple searches simultaneously, nesting
" " – exact phrase
without quotes assumes ("word" AND "word")
• e.g. (dictionary OR encyclopedia) AND (ecclesiology OR sanctification)
Truncation:
o Instead of “mentoring” -> “mentor*”
o All words with “mentor” as root will show
Proximity Searching – use % plus a number (sometimes use ‘NEAR’ plus a number)
o Family %3 Discipleship (words w/in 3 words of each other)
# symbol can be used to find variant spellings, eg. arch#eology will find both archaeology and archeology.
Examples:
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND evangelism AND missions)
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND evangel* AND mission*)
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND (evangelism OR missions))
o ((“Spiritual Warfare” AND (evangelism OR missions)) NOT (charismatic OR Pentecostal)
o ((evangelism %4 missions %4 “church growth”) AND (“Spiritual Warfare”))
o ((missions OR evangelism) AND (demonology))
o ((missions OR evangelism) AND (supernatural))
Lesson # 1 - Citation/Reference Management Software
• These programs will help you pull bibliography information off of library search engines or online bookstores (Amazon through Zotero). They then store this info so when you make a citation they can generate endnotes, footnotes, and bibliographies in the format/style you need.
• FREE – http://www.zotero.org/ , www.tinyurl.com/zoterosummary
• PC Purchase – http://www.endnote.com/ , http://www.refworks.com/ (note: some of these work on Macs as well)
• Mac Purchase – Sente (http://www.thirdstreetsoftware.com/ ) , Bookends ( http://www.sonnysoftware.com/ )
• Wikipedia Comparison
Lesson # 2 – Meet with your Librarian
• Ask your librarian to help you. Schedule an appointment with them. Often they can direct you to specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. that might be a good starting point for your paper. They can also assist you with searching their catalog or in borrowing resources from other libraries.
• Residents of Kentucky can check out from any public library (i.e. UK, UL) in Kentucky with a KY Driver’s License.
Lesson # 3 – Online Library Resources
• Invest some time online in searching your library’s website. Often you will find things prior to your library trip that can save you valuable time. Depending on your school’s library, you may be able to find entire journal articles, book texts, and dissertations that you can read and search from the comfort of your own home.
• My library has a great explanation online of how to do quality research
• Free online books catalog
Lesson # 4 – Google Books & Scholar
• Google has done an incredible job, despite lots of opposition and legal troubles, at scanning and uploading tons of articles and books. You can search against the text, and if you do it well (see lesson # 5), can find exactly what you are looking for. If you search for a particular book and keep scrolling beyond it on the search page, you will also see citations of other works to it…which then provides you other relevant works applicable to your paper topic.
• Google books & Google scholar
• Google search - “google limiters”
Lesson # 5 – Searches – Boolean & Subject
• Use Library of Congress subject headings to search for works (sometimes easily found on online searches of your website...if not, ask your librarian)
• Use Boolean logic to search online and within your library’s search engine
Some other Boolean tips:
• Boolean search: AND OR NOT (all caps)
AND = + (plus sign)
AND = & (ampersand)
OR = | (pipe sign)
NOT = ~ (tilde)
( ) – multiple searches simultaneously, nesting
" " – exact phrase
without quotes assumes ("word" AND "word")
• e.g. (dictionary OR encyclopedia) AND (ecclesiology OR sanctification)
Truncation:
o Instead of “mentoring” -> “mentor*”
o All words with “mentor” as root will show
Proximity Searching – use % plus a number (sometimes use ‘NEAR’ plus a number)
o Family %3 Discipleship (words w/in 3 words of each other)
# symbol can be used to find variant spellings, eg. arch#eology will find both archaeology and archeology.
Examples:
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND evangelism AND missions)
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND evangel* AND mission*)
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND (evangelism OR missions))
o ((“Spiritual Warfare” AND (evangelism OR missions)) NOT (charismatic OR Pentecostal)
o ((evangelism %4 missions %4 “church growth”) AND (“Spiritual Warfare”))
o ((missions OR evangelism) AND (demonology))
o ((missions OR evangelism) AND (supernatural))
GREAT Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Leader Tips & Reminders
This is an excellent training video of "the Largest Sunday School training event EVER" that all teachers (of all ages) and leaders will want to watch. It is a wonderful investment of your time to watch this entire conference (around two hours)!
Great Expectations LIVE from LifeWay Productions on Vimeo.
Your class can have even greater impact on your church, in your community, and in the lives of its members when you raise your expectations and enlarge your thinking. “Great Expectations: Live” will help you do that. This event will be inspirational and is designed to help you build a God empowered, focused, and connected Sunday School class.
Based on David Francis’ book, Great Expectations, the training is intended for Sunday School teachers ranging from pre-school to adults, Sunday School directors, class leaders, and church staff.
Great Expectations LIVE from LifeWay Productions on Vimeo.
Your class can have even greater impact on your church, in your community, and in the lives of its members when you raise your expectations and enlarge your thinking. “Great Expectations: Live” will help you do that. This event will be inspirational and is designed to help you build a God empowered, focused, and connected Sunday School class.
Based on David Francis’ book, Great Expectations, the training is intended for Sunday School teachers ranging from pre-school to adults, Sunday School directors, class leaders, and church staff.
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #7 - Ambassadors for Christ
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #7 - Ambassadors for Christ from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
2 Corinthians 5:11-21 “11Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Quote - D.A. Carson
"People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated." - D.A. Carson
HT: The Village Church
HT: The Village Church
Twilight: A Helpful Christian Response - A Mom's Perspective
Mary Kassian has written on her blog a helpful response to the latest Twilight movie...'Shedding Some Light on Twilight'
Here are her concerns regarding the relationship modeled by Bella & Edward...
1. Bad Boy Attraction
2. Shared Dark Secrets
3. “Us” versus “Them” Mentality
4. Isolation and Seclusion
5. Mismatched Interests and Values
6. Neediness and Obsession
7. Rationalization and Justification
8. Failure to Seek & Heed Input
Here are her concerns regarding the relationship modeled by Bella & Edward...
1. Bad Boy Attraction
2. Shared Dark Secrets
3. “Us” versus “Them” Mentality
4. Isolation and Seclusion
5. Mismatched Interests and Values
6. Neediness and Obsession
7. Rationalization and Justification
8. Failure to Seek & Heed Input
Quote - A.W. Tozer
"Few are they who by faith touch Him; multitudes are they who throng about Him." - A.W. Tozer
Women & Ministry - Great Resources from 9marks.org
Women and ministry is a sensitive topic in today's church and whenever I find a biblical and helpful resource on the topic, I like to share it due to help others consider the biblical guidance on these issues.
Here are two well-written articles on women and ministry from http://www.9marks.org/ (a website on biblical guidance for churches). If you've ever struggled with or gotten riled up about this topic, I'd encourage you to read the below articles and the Scriptures they reference.
Titus 2:3-5 "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled"
1 Timothy 2:12-14 " I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
2 Timothy 1:5 "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well."
Genesis 2:18 "Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
Here are two well-written articles on women and ministry from http://www.9marks.org/ (a website on biblical guidance for churches). If you've ever struggled with or gotten riled up about this topic, I'd encourage you to read the below articles and the Scriptures they reference.
- 'How Pastors Can Equip Women for Ministry' by Bob Johnson
- 'May Women Serve as Pastors?' by Thomas Schreiner
- PASTORING WOMEN: UNDERSTANDING AND HONORING DISTINCTNESS
- WOMEN’S MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
- RESOURCES FOR TODAY’S BIBLICAL WOMEN
Titus 2:3-5 "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled"
1 Timothy 2:12-14 " I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
2 Timothy 1:5 "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well."
Genesis 2:18 "Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) Teacher Tips #6 - Christian Websites & Online Bible Resources
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #6 - Christian Websites & Online Bible Resources from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Here are my top 5 online, free Bible Study Resources:
http://www.gotquestions.org/ – Answers over 195,000 tough bible questions
http://www.biblegateway.com/ – A great way to compare translations or search for keywords in the Bible
http://www.4truth.net/ – An SBC website on interfaith, evangelism & apologetic resources
http://www.biblestudytools.com/ – FREE intralinear and parallel Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, enyclopedias, lexicons, histories, and more!
http://www.bibleplaces.com/ – Amazing photos and descriptions of Bible places (some free, more extensive collections for sale)
Can There Be A Christian Nation? - Dr. Michael Youssef
I recommend reading a succinct and helpful article by Dr. Michael Youssef that answers the question, 'Can There Be a Christian Nation?'
Some excerpts:
Some excerpts:
- "A country, or even a culture, cannot be Christian — only individuals can be Christians. However, when people speak of America's Christian heritage, they often are referring to the moral character of our nation which is reflected in its laws and ordinances — both of which bear the distinct markings of Christianity."
- "the moral character of a nation, as expressed in its policies and laws, can evoke God's response"
- "After September 11, our nation appeared to go through a soul-searching process...and superficially, the nation appeared to enter into a spiritual revival...But that repentance was cheap and short-lived. It was merely a reaction emanating from fear."
- "Our economic woes and national disasters, as well as our nation's security, will only be healed and protected when we get our relationship with God on the right track. Our personal cleansing, repentance, and intercession can determine our country's future."
The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer - FREE Audio Book (July 2010)
You can get your copy of A.W.Tozer's The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine for FREE as an audiobook download during July 2010 at http://christianaudio.com/free
Quote - D.L. Moody
"Oh, young man, character is worth more than money, character is worth more than anything else in this wide world." D.L. Moody
Sola Scriptura - 2 Timothy 3:10-17
Sola Scriptura - 2 Timothy 3:10-17 - 21SEP08 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone
@ Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, KY
21SEP08
Solus Christus - Christ Alone
Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
Sola Fide - Faith Alone
Soli Deo Gloria - The Glory of God Alone
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Sola Scriptura – KNOW & TRUST!
BE….
•IN AWE – of God’s perfect, inspired, infallible, inerrant Word.
•CONVICTED – of our sinful and pathetic treatment and use of it
•DETERMINED – to change our handling of the Word of God to His glory and our joy
•THE CHURCH – established with a FIRM foundation!
Sola Scriptura – USE IT! (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
1) ______________for suffering
•Expect, Endure, & Enjoy!
2) _____________ who you follow
•What is their teaching and life rooted in?
•Who is your Paul?
3) ______________ faithfully
•“Imitate Me”
•Who is your Timothy?
"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian." A.W. Tozer
A Worship-FULL Life - Isaiah 6:1-8
A Worship-FULL Life - Isaiah 6:1-8 - 25NOV07 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
A Worship-FULL Life
November 25, 2007 @ Severns Valley Baptist Church
Isaiah 6:1-8
The Purpose of Life = To ___________God
__________________ God’s Holiness (v.1-4)
•"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:3
•“men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
___________________ the Depths of our Depravity (v.5)
•“Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined!” Isaiah 6:5
•“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” Romans 12:3
•“There is none righteous, not even one.” Romans 3:10
_______________ Christ’s Atoning Work in our Lives (v.6-7)
•“your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven” Isaiah 6:6
•“righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” Romans 3:22
•“there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1
_______________ in Obedient Service and Living (v.8)
•“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8
•“I am not ashamed of the gospel” Romans 1:6
•“faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” James 2:17
Love of God → Obedience → Love of Others → Share & Proclaim
The Missional Church - Acts
The Missional Church - Acts - 19MAY10 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
The Missional Church…
AUDIO ONLY
@ Severns Valley Baptist Church (Elizabethtown, KY)
19MAY10
1) IS NOT focused on its human ___________ or ___________ .
“And they prayed and said, ‘You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen…’” (Acts 1:24-25)
“But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out…” (Acts 5:19)
2) IS NOT dependent on human___________ or ___________ .
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13)
“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news” (Acts 14:15)
3) IS centered on ___________ – Jesus’ life, death, & resurrection
“you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 3:15)
“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)
4) IS empowered by the ___________
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
“if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.” (Acts 5:38-39)
5) IS ___________ , ___________ & ___________
“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (Acts 5:42)
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14)
“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)
6) IS ___________ and ___________
“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’" (Acts 7:59)
“He (Herod) had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. (Acts 12:2)
“when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:40-41)
“For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:16)
As the Acts 29 Church – I must….
1)___________ to God - James 4:7-8 & Ephesians 6:10-20
2) ___________ the Holy Spirit to work– Ephesians 4:22-30
3)___________ eternal opportunities – 1 Timothy 4:8 James 5:19-20
“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” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
THE CHURCH: Family vs. Restaurant - Servants vs. Consumers
This is one of the best teachings and analogies I've heard about the role of Christians in the church. Pastor Mark Driscoll's below video exhorts us to view the church as a servant in a family and not a consumer in a restaurant. His description towards the end of a 'church whiner' is something all church leaders have dealt with and grieve at.
I am so thankful and blessed by the many church servants I know and pray that their selfless example contagiously spreads into the lives of all Christians they come into contact with.
Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many"
Philippians 2:14-15 "14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"
I am so thankful and blessed by the many church servants I know and pray that their selfless example contagiously spreads into the lives of all Christians they come into contact with.
Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many"
Philippians 2:14-15 "14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"
Wake Up & Trust God - Matthew 26:36-46
Wake Up & Trust God - Matthew 26:36-46 - Spring 2009 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Wake Up & Trust God!!
@ The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (class in video) and at Stithton Baptist Church (Radcliff, KY)
Matthew 26:36-46
1. Do not neglect God’s _______________
Look at Jesus!
Look at the Disciples!
2. God desires our _______________
Look at Jesus!
Look at the Disciples!
3. Christ _____________ for us
Look at Jesus!
Look at the Disciples!
4. God’s will must become _____________
Look at Jesus!
Look at the Disciples!
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #5 - Pride vs. Humility
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #5 - Pride vs. Humility from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Pride vs. Humility
Go to http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=proud&version1=47&searchtype=all&limit=none&wholewordsonly=no
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 “5What then is Apollos? What is Paul?) Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”
Romans 12:3 “ 3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24 “23Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Christ Crucified - 1COR 1:10-2:5
Christ Crucified - 1COR 1:10-2:5 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
The Pride of Life or the Power of God
1 Corinthians 1:10-2:5 (ESV)
@ The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (class in video) & @ Cecilia Baptist Church (Cecilia, KY)
Spring 2009
Our identity as a church, as followers of Christ, and as sharers of Christ must be rooted in Christ Crucified.
1. Christ Crucified: ____________ the Church (1 COR 1:10-17)
2. Christ Crucified: ____________ Personal Pride (1 COR 1:18-31)
3. Christ Crucified: ____________ all Ministry & Preaching (1 COR 2:1-5)
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #4 - Milk vs. Solid Food
Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #4 - Milk vs. Solid Food from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Hebrews 5:11-14 "11About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."
Spiritual Warfare Bible Verses - #6
1 Peter 5:8-9 “8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings”
1 John 1:9 “9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 4
1 John 4:2-4 “2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
1 John 4:6,10-15 “6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood…. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
1 John 4:19-20 “18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 5:18 “18We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
2 John 9 & 10 “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”
Revelation 12:10-12 10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
Revelation 20 “1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. 7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
1 John 1:9 “9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 4
1 John 4:2-4 “2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
1 John 4:6,10-15 “6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood…. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
1 John 4:19-20 “18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 5:18 “18We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
2 John 9 & 10 “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”
Revelation 12:10-12 10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
Revelation 20 “1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. 7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Spiritual Warfare Bible Verses - #5
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Hebrews 13:5-6 “5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"”
James 1:12-15 “12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
James 1:22-25 “22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”
James 2:10 “10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
James 2:18-19 “ 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”
James 4:3-9 “3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
James 5:13-16 “13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
James 5:19-20 “19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
Hebrews 13:5-6 “5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"”
James 1:12-15 “12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
James 1:22-25 “22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”
James 2:10 “10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
James 2:18-19 “ 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”
James 4:3-9 “3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
James 5:13-16 “13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
James 5:19-20 “19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
Spiritual Warfare Bible Verses - #4
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 “14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “ 7So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me,"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Galatians 6:1,2 “1Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:7,8 “7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Ephesians 2:1-7 “ 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:12-13 “12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:26-27 “26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Ephesians 6 “10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “ 7So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me,"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Galatians 6:1,2 “1Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:7,8 “7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Ephesians 2:1-7 “ 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:12-13 “12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:26-27 “26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Ephesians 6 “10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) Teacher Tips #3 - Spiritual Warfare
Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) Teacher Tips #3 - Spiritual Warfare from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Ephesians 6:10-20 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Spiritual Warfare Bible Verses - #3
Acts 10:38 “38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
Acts 19:11-26
Acts 19:14-16 “14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" 16And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Acts 19:18-20 “18Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:15 “15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."”
Romans 8:26-27 “26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”
Romans 8:31-39 “31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[l] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 12 & 13
Romans 12:1-2 “ 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. “
Romans 12:9, 11-12 “ 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good…11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:19-21 “19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 13:1-2 “ 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
Romans 13:11-14 “ 11And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
Acts 19:11-26
Acts 19:14-16 “14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" 16And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Acts 19:18-20 “18Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:15 “15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."”
Romans 8:26-27 “26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”
Romans 8:31-39 “31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[l] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 12 & 13
Romans 12:1-2 “ 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. “
Romans 12:9, 11-12 “ 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good…11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:19-21 “19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 13:1-2 “ 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
Romans 13:11-14 “ 11And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
Spiritual Warfare Bible Verses - #2
Matthew 4
Matthew 4:10-11 “ 10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" 11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”
Matthew 10:1 “1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”
Matthew 12:22-32
Matthew 12:28-30 “28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29"Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. 30"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters”
Matthew 24:35 “35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”
Matthew 26:53 “53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
Mark 1:27 “27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."’
Mark 5
Mark 5:19-20 “19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”
Mark 9:14-29
Mark 9:28-29 “28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
Luke 10:17-20 17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Luke 11:24-26 “24"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."”
Matthew 4:10-11 “ 10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" 11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”
Matthew 10:1 “1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”
Matthew 12:22-32
Matthew 12:28-30 “28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29"Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. 30"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters”
Matthew 24:35 “35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”
Matthew 26:53 “53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
Mark 1:27 “27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."’
Mark 5
Mark 5:19-20 “19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”
Mark 9:14-29
Mark 9:28-29 “28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
Luke 10:17-20 17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Luke 11:24-26 “24"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."”
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.”
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
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