1. I resolve to ask God for wisdom to speak out of a single-minded devotion to him. (1:5)
2. I resolve to boast only in the exultation I receive in Jesus Christ and also in the humiliation I receive for Jesus Christ. (1:9-10)
3. I resolve to set a watch over my mouth. (1:13)
4. I resolve to be constantly quick to hear and slow to speak. (1:19)
5. I resolve to learn the gospel way of speaking to both rich and poor. (2:1-4)
6. I resolve to speak in the present consciousness of my final judgment. (2:12)
7. I resolve never to stand on anyone’s face with the words I employ. (2:16)
8. I resolve never to claim as reality in my life what I do not truly experience. (3:14)
9. I resolve to resist quarrelsome words as evidence of a bad heart that needs to be mortified. (4:1)
10. I resolve never to speak decided evil against another out of a heart of antagonism. (4:11)
11. I resolve never to boast in anything but what I will accomplish. (4:13)
12. I resolve to speak as one subject to the providences of God. (4:15)
13. I resolve never to grumble. The judge is at the door. (5:9)
14. I resolve never to allow anything but total integrity in everything I say. (5:12)
15. I resolve to speak to God in prayer whenever I suffer. (5:13)
16. I resolve to sing praises to God whenever I’m cheerful. (5:14)
17. I resolve to ask for the prayers of others when I’m in need. (5:14)
18. I resolve to confess it whenever I have failed. (5:15)
19. I resolve to pray with others for one another whenever I am together with them. (5:15)
20. I resolve to speak words of restoration when I see another wander. (5:19)
Monday, 23 May 2011
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Leading in Times of Transition
Leading in Times of Transition
1. Accept discomfort as normal. Phil 4v10-13.
Remember: the alternative to transition is stagnation
2. Hold fast to the Greater vision.
We are a Christian Community that serves.
3. Remember you are a Vision Carrier and a Change Agent
A vision carrier…
(a) Knows about the church’s important initiatives
(b) Casts vision within their sphere of influence
(c) Answers people’s questions
(d) Communicates confidence in the leader of the church
(c) Puts out fires
4. Don’t allow critics to taint your perspective
5. Expect progress to require both the move of the spirit and hard work!
6. Don’t let a success derail you.
7. When you have momentum, keep it going
8. Be ready and willing to re-invent your systems and approaches
9. Remain fast and fluid
10. Keep finding and raising up new leaders
1. Accept discomfort as normal. Phil 4v10-13.
Remember: the alternative to transition is stagnation
2. Hold fast to the Greater vision.
We are a Christian Community that serves.
3. Remember you are a Vision Carrier and a Change Agent
A vision carrier…
(a) Knows about the church’s important initiatives
(b) Casts vision within their sphere of influence
(c) Answers people’s questions
(d) Communicates confidence in the leader of the church
(c) Puts out fires
4. Don’t allow critics to taint your perspective
5. Expect progress to require both the move of the spirit and hard work!
6. Don’t let a success derail you.
7. When you have momentum, keep it going
8. Be ready and willing to re-invent your systems and approaches
9. Remain fast and fluid
10. Keep finding and raising up new leaders
Monday, 4 April 2011
Get into God's word if you want to grow spiritually
As a pastor,I long to see my congregation dig into all of the treasures in God’s Word. You know that within the pages of the Bible they will find everything it needs to grow spiritually. But how can I help them get more from the Bible?
In his book Bible Study Methods, Rick Warren shares 12 different ways to study the Bible. In each chapter he tells you why that particular method is important and gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do it. He also includes a helpful Bible study form to use in applying each method.
Here are the 12 methods Warren uses:
The devotional method: Warren says this method sets the foundation for all of the others included in the book. If application is the ultimate goal of how we’re to interact with the Bible, then this method may be the most important for our spiritual lives. The method involves taking a passage of Scripture and prayerfully meditating on it until the Holy Spirit provides a concrete application.
The chapter summary method: This may be the easiest of the Bible study methods to use, and you need very few extra biblical resources to do it effectively. Using this method, you’ll get a general overview of a chapter. You can use the method to systematically go through God’s Word or you can pick various chapters that are of interest to you.
The character quality method: We’ve all got areas of our lives that need work. Using this Bible study method, you can work on positive character qualities that you need to improve on (such as honesty, humility, and diligence) and negative ones you need to avoid (such as pride and greed). Unless you really understand a character quality, you’ll never be able to develop it in your life. Through this method you’ll focus on one character quality, look at how biblical characters lived it out, and look for ways to build the character trait into your own life (or avoid it).
The thematic method: This study method involves taking a biblical theme (like interceding for others or “the hand of the Lord”) and asking no more than five pre-determined questions of the relevant biblical texts. This is another Bible study method that requires few reference tools, with a Bible and a concordance being the most important ones. It’s a great method to use when you’re preparing a Bible study or mentoring someone. It’s also a nice first step before digging into a more thorough topical study.
The biographical method: This study method is pretty self-explanatory. It involves picking a biblical character and studying his or her life as presented by Scripture. But it isn’t just about storing information on the person. The reason you study a biblical character is to see why the person was a spiritual success or failure. Once you discover that, you can either emulate what made them spiritually successful or avoid what made them fail. With more than 3,000 biblical characters, this form of Bible study offers an almost endless supply of opportunities.
The topical method: In many ways this method is like the thematic study, only more extensive. When studying the Bible topically, you typically attack a broad subject in Scripture (or in a specific book of the Bible) – like prayer or sin. Also, unlike a thematic study, you ask every question you can muster. What you get at the end is a broad idea of what the Bible (or a book in the Bible) says about the topic.
The word study method: Warren reminds readers that many of the great doctrines of Scripture revolve around a single word, such as grace, atonement, or faith. This study method allows you to focus on what some of these words mean in the original language. It’s one of the most reference-book-intensive studies of all the options, because you’ll need sources to be able to uncover the meaning of the biblical words in the original languages. The method is based on two things. First, the meaning you find from a word must be based on the original languages. Second, context must give you the ultimate meaning of the word you’re studying, not the English translation.
The book background method: This method helps you get a good feel for the background of the biblical passage or book you are studying. You do it by focusing on understanding the history, culture, geography, and political events surrounding the passage. Of course this method is highly dependent upon collecting quality Bible study reference tools.
The book survey method: In chapters 9, 10, and 11, Warren explains three methods that must be taken together. The three methods are best understood as a whole. In the book survey method, you get telescopic view of a book of the Bible. By doing this step first, you understand how the pieces of the book fit together. It helps you ensure that you won’t mistake the forest for the trees when you study the book further through the next few methods.
The chapter analysis method: Next, you focus your study on a particular chapter from the book you just surveyed. Through this method you’ll look carefully at each paragraph, sentence, and word in the passage you are studying. As you study the chapters of the Bible in this way, you’ll limit outside help and ensure that you’re getting your own insights on Scripture.
The book synthesis method: This is the natural conclusion of this set of three methods. After you’ve looked at the book as a whole and then analyze the different chapters within it, you’ll conclude by putting the book and all of the insights you’ve gained back together again. It’s a particularly important step after you’ve torn the book apart in the chapter analysis method.
The verse-by-verse method: In this method you take a particular verse of Scripture and study it in detail by asking particular questions, looking at cross-references and paraphrasing each verse. You can either use this study to work systematically through a passage or combine it with the topical method to look at all of the Scripture related to a topic.
In his book Bible Study Methods, Rick Warren shares 12 different ways to study the Bible. In each chapter he tells you why that particular method is important and gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do it. He also includes a helpful Bible study form to use in applying each method.
Here are the 12 methods Warren uses:
The devotional method: Warren says this method sets the foundation for all of the others included in the book. If application is the ultimate goal of how we’re to interact with the Bible, then this method may be the most important for our spiritual lives. The method involves taking a passage of Scripture and prayerfully meditating on it until the Holy Spirit provides a concrete application.
The chapter summary method: This may be the easiest of the Bible study methods to use, and you need very few extra biblical resources to do it effectively. Using this method, you’ll get a general overview of a chapter. You can use the method to systematically go through God’s Word or you can pick various chapters that are of interest to you.
The character quality method: We’ve all got areas of our lives that need work. Using this Bible study method, you can work on positive character qualities that you need to improve on (such as honesty, humility, and diligence) and negative ones you need to avoid (such as pride and greed). Unless you really understand a character quality, you’ll never be able to develop it in your life. Through this method you’ll focus on one character quality, look at how biblical characters lived it out, and look for ways to build the character trait into your own life (or avoid it).
The thematic method: This study method involves taking a biblical theme (like interceding for others or “the hand of the Lord”) and asking no more than five pre-determined questions of the relevant biblical texts. This is another Bible study method that requires few reference tools, with a Bible and a concordance being the most important ones. It’s a great method to use when you’re preparing a Bible study or mentoring someone. It’s also a nice first step before digging into a more thorough topical study.
The biographical method: This study method is pretty self-explanatory. It involves picking a biblical character and studying his or her life as presented by Scripture. But it isn’t just about storing information on the person. The reason you study a biblical character is to see why the person was a spiritual success or failure. Once you discover that, you can either emulate what made them spiritually successful or avoid what made them fail. With more than 3,000 biblical characters, this form of Bible study offers an almost endless supply of opportunities.
The topical method: In many ways this method is like the thematic study, only more extensive. When studying the Bible topically, you typically attack a broad subject in Scripture (or in a specific book of the Bible) – like prayer or sin. Also, unlike a thematic study, you ask every question you can muster. What you get at the end is a broad idea of what the Bible (or a book in the Bible) says about the topic.
The word study method: Warren reminds readers that many of the great doctrines of Scripture revolve around a single word, such as grace, atonement, or faith. This study method allows you to focus on what some of these words mean in the original language. It’s one of the most reference-book-intensive studies of all the options, because you’ll need sources to be able to uncover the meaning of the biblical words in the original languages. The method is based on two things. First, the meaning you find from a word must be based on the original languages. Second, context must give you the ultimate meaning of the word you’re studying, not the English translation.
The book background method: This method helps you get a good feel for the background of the biblical passage or book you are studying. You do it by focusing on understanding the history, culture, geography, and political events surrounding the passage. Of course this method is highly dependent upon collecting quality Bible study reference tools.
The book survey method: In chapters 9, 10, and 11, Warren explains three methods that must be taken together. The three methods are best understood as a whole. In the book survey method, you get telescopic view of a book of the Bible. By doing this step first, you understand how the pieces of the book fit together. It helps you ensure that you won’t mistake the forest for the trees when you study the book further through the next few methods.
The chapter analysis method: Next, you focus your study on a particular chapter from the book you just surveyed. Through this method you’ll look carefully at each paragraph, sentence, and word in the passage you are studying. As you study the chapters of the Bible in this way, you’ll limit outside help and ensure that you’re getting your own insights on Scripture.
The book synthesis method: This is the natural conclusion of this set of three methods. After you’ve looked at the book as a whole and then analyze the different chapters within it, you’ll conclude by putting the book and all of the insights you’ve gained back together again. It’s a particularly important step after you’ve torn the book apart in the chapter analysis method.
The verse-by-verse method: In this method you take a particular verse of Scripture and study it in detail by asking particular questions, looking at cross-references and paraphrasing each verse. You can either use this study to work systematically through a passage or combine it with the topical method to look at all of the Scripture related to a topic.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Hosannah!
Just loved this post from John Piper about the meaning of HOSANNA - Awesome!
I know one of the concerns of the children's music ministry is that the children understand what they are singing and that they mean it. And I share that concern for our people. In a moment the choir will sing a song called, "Hosanna, Hosanna!" And after that we all will sing a song which begins: "Hosanna in the highest!" So I want to give a little lesson in Greek and Hebrew to make sure we all know what the New Testament means when it says in three different places, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" (Mt. 21:9,15), or "Hosanna in the highest!" (Mk. 11:9,10), or simply, "Hosanna!" (John 12:13).
You all know that the New Testament was first written in Greek and the Old Testament was first written in Hebrew. Wherever the word "hosanna" occurs in the New Testament do you know what the Greek word is? Right! It's "hosanna." All the English translators did was use English letters (h-o-s-a-n-n-a) to make the sound of a Greek word.
But if you look in a Greek dictionary to find what it means, you know what you find? You find that it is really not originally a Greek word after all. The men who wrote the New Testament in Greek did the same thing to a Hebrew word that our English translators did to the Greek word: they just used Greek letters (UNABLE TO DISPLAY GREEK CHARACTERS ) to make the sound of a Hebrew phrase ( UNABLE TO DISPLAY HEBREW CHARACTERS ). I know this sounds sort of complicated. But it's really not. Our English word "hosanna" comes from a Greek word "hosanna" which comes from a Hebrew phrase hoshiya na.
And that Hebrew phrase is found one solitary place in the whole Old Testament, Psalm 118:25, where it means, "Save, please!" It is a cry to God for help. Like when somebody pushes out off the diving board before you can swim and you come up hollering: "Help, save me" … "Hoshiya na!"
But something happened to that phrase, hoshiya na. The meaning changed over the years. In the psalm it was immediately followed by the exclamation: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The cry for help, hoshiya na, was answered almost before it came out of the psalmist's mouth. And over the centuries the phrase hoshiya na stopped being a cry for help in the ordinary language of the Jews. Instead it became a shout of hope and exultation. It used to mean, "Save, please!" But gradually it came to mean, "Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come!" It used to be what you would say when you fell off the diving board. But it came to be what you would say when you see the lifeguard coming to save you! It is the bubbling over of a heart that sees hope and joy and salvation on the way and can't keep it in.
So "Hosanna!" means, "Hooray for salvation! It's coming! It's here! Salvation! Salvation!"
And "Hosanna to the Son of David!" means, "The Son of David is our salvation! Hooray for the king! Salvation belongs to the king!"
And "Hosanna in the highest!" means, "Let all the angels in heaven join the song of praise. Salvation! Salvation! Let the highest heaven sing the song!"
Picture a super bowl game, and (believe it or not) the Vikings are three points ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are on their own 35 and have no more time outs. There are two seconds remaining on the clock. The Vikings' fans are going wild. The Steelers line up, fake a pass to the receivers on the left field line and run a wide sweep around the right end and the quarterback breaks into the open and heads down the right sideline -- 40 - 45 - 50 - 45. The only hope for the Vikings is Willie Teal, the safety, cutting a diagonal across the field. And out of the Vikings' grandstand come two kinds of Hosannas, the old kind and the new kind. One part of the crowd is yelling: "Catch him! Catch him, Willie!" (That's the old Hosanna.) The other part of the crowd is yelling, "You got him! You got him, Willie!" (That's the new Hosanna.) The word moved from plea to praise; from cry to confidence.
So when we sing "Hosanna" now, let's make it very personal. Let's make it our praise and our confidence. The Son of David has come. He has saved us from guilt and fear and hopelessness. Salvation! Salvation belongs to our God and to the Son! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!
I know one of the concerns of the children's music ministry is that the children understand what they are singing and that they mean it. And I share that concern for our people. In a moment the choir will sing a song called, "Hosanna, Hosanna!" And after that we all will sing a song which begins: "Hosanna in the highest!" So I want to give a little lesson in Greek and Hebrew to make sure we all know what the New Testament means when it says in three different places, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" (Mt. 21:9,15), or "Hosanna in the highest!" (Mk. 11:9,10), or simply, "Hosanna!" (John 12:13).
You all know that the New Testament was first written in Greek and the Old Testament was first written in Hebrew. Wherever the word "hosanna" occurs in the New Testament do you know what the Greek word is? Right! It's "hosanna." All the English translators did was use English letters (h-o-s-a-n-n-a) to make the sound of a Greek word.
But if you look in a Greek dictionary to find what it means, you know what you find? You find that it is really not originally a Greek word after all. The men who wrote the New Testament in Greek did the same thing to a Hebrew word that our English translators did to the Greek word: they just used Greek letters (UNABLE TO DISPLAY GREEK CHARACTERS ) to make the sound of a Hebrew phrase ( UNABLE TO DISPLAY HEBREW CHARACTERS ). I know this sounds sort of complicated. But it's really not. Our English word "hosanna" comes from a Greek word "hosanna" which comes from a Hebrew phrase hoshiya na.
And that Hebrew phrase is found one solitary place in the whole Old Testament, Psalm 118:25, where it means, "Save, please!" It is a cry to God for help. Like when somebody pushes out off the diving board before you can swim and you come up hollering: "Help, save me" … "Hoshiya na!"
But something happened to that phrase, hoshiya na. The meaning changed over the years. In the psalm it was immediately followed by the exclamation: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The cry for help, hoshiya na, was answered almost before it came out of the psalmist's mouth. And over the centuries the phrase hoshiya na stopped being a cry for help in the ordinary language of the Jews. Instead it became a shout of hope and exultation. It used to mean, "Save, please!" But gradually it came to mean, "Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come!" It used to be what you would say when you fell off the diving board. But it came to be what you would say when you see the lifeguard coming to save you! It is the bubbling over of a heart that sees hope and joy and salvation on the way and can't keep it in.
So "Hosanna!" means, "Hooray for salvation! It's coming! It's here! Salvation! Salvation!"
And "Hosanna to the Son of David!" means, "The Son of David is our salvation! Hooray for the king! Salvation belongs to the king!"
And "Hosanna in the highest!" means, "Let all the angels in heaven join the song of praise. Salvation! Salvation! Let the highest heaven sing the song!"
Picture a super bowl game, and (believe it or not) the Vikings are three points ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are on their own 35 and have no more time outs. There are two seconds remaining on the clock. The Vikings' fans are going wild. The Steelers line up, fake a pass to the receivers on the left field line and run a wide sweep around the right end and the quarterback breaks into the open and heads down the right sideline -- 40 - 45 - 50 - 45. The only hope for the Vikings is Willie Teal, the safety, cutting a diagonal across the field. And out of the Vikings' grandstand come two kinds of Hosannas, the old kind and the new kind. One part of the crowd is yelling: "Catch him! Catch him, Willie!" (That's the old Hosanna.) The other part of the crowd is yelling, "You got him! You got him, Willie!" (That's the new Hosanna.) The word moved from plea to praise; from cry to confidence.
So when we sing "Hosanna" now, let's make it very personal. Let's make it our praise and our confidence. The Son of David has come. He has saved us from guilt and fear and hopelessness. Salvation! Salvation belongs to our God and to the Son! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Biblical Stewardship Principles fir the believer
I read these this week and was stirred in my heart as I reflect on my giving to God and his kingdom.
1. God, the creator (Genesis 1) and sustainer of all things (Colossians 1:17) and the One "who works within us to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20), is a God of infinite abundance (Psalm 50:10-11) and grace (2 Corinthians 9:8).
2. Acknowledging the primacy of the Gospel (Romans 1:16) as our chief treasure (Matthew 13:44), Christians are called to lives of stewardship, as managers of all that God has entrusted to them (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).
3. A Christian's attitude toward possessions on earth is important to God (Matthew 6:24), and there is a vital link between how they utilize earthly possessions (as investments in God's kingdom) and the eternal rewards that they will receive (Philippians 4:17).
4. God entrusts possessions to Christians and holds them accountable for their use, as a tool to grow his eternal kingdom, as a test of the believer's faithfulness to God, and as a trademark that their lives reflect Christ's values (Luke 16:1-9).
5. From God's abounding grace, Christians' giving reflects their gratitude for what God has provided and involves growing in an intimate faith relationship with Christ as Lord of their lives (Mark 12:41-44).
6. Because giving is a worshipful, obedient act of returning to God from what has been provided (1 Chronicles 29:10-14), Christian fundraisers should hold a conviction that, in partnership with the church, they have an important role in the spiritual maturation of believers (James 3:1).
7. The primary role of Christian fundraisers is to advance and facilitate a believer's faith in and worship of God through a Christ-centered understanding of stewardship that is solidly grounded on Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16).
8. Recognizing it is the work of the Holy Spirit that prompts Christians to give (2 Corinthians 9:5-7, Nehemiah 1:4-11)
9. An eternal, God-centered worldview promotes cooperation places the giver's relationship to God above all else. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
When these principles are implemented, that rely on God changing hearts more than on human methods, the resulting joy-filled generosity of believers will fully fund God's work here on earth (Exodus 36:6-7).
1. God, the creator (Genesis 1) and sustainer of all things (Colossians 1:17) and the One "who works within us to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20), is a God of infinite abundance (Psalm 50:10-11) and grace (2 Corinthians 9:8).
2. Acknowledging the primacy of the Gospel (Romans 1:16) as our chief treasure (Matthew 13:44), Christians are called to lives of stewardship, as managers of all that God has entrusted to them (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).
3. A Christian's attitude toward possessions on earth is important to God (Matthew 6:24), and there is a vital link between how they utilize earthly possessions (as investments in God's kingdom) and the eternal rewards that they will receive (Philippians 4:17).
4. God entrusts possessions to Christians and holds them accountable for their use, as a tool to grow his eternal kingdom, as a test of the believer's faithfulness to God, and as a trademark that their lives reflect Christ's values (Luke 16:1-9).
5. From God's abounding grace, Christians' giving reflects their gratitude for what God has provided and involves growing in an intimate faith relationship with Christ as Lord of their lives (Mark 12:41-44).
6. Because giving is a worshipful, obedient act of returning to God from what has been provided (1 Chronicles 29:10-14), Christian fundraisers should hold a conviction that, in partnership with the church, they have an important role in the spiritual maturation of believers (James 3:1).
7. The primary role of Christian fundraisers is to advance and facilitate a believer's faith in and worship of God through a Christ-centered understanding of stewardship that is solidly grounded on Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16).
8. Recognizing it is the work of the Holy Spirit that prompts Christians to give (2 Corinthians 9:5-7, Nehemiah 1:4-11)
9. An eternal, God-centered worldview promotes cooperation places the giver's relationship to God above all else. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
When these principles are implemented, that rely on God changing hearts more than on human methods, the resulting joy-filled generosity of believers will fully fund God's work here on earth (Exodus 36:6-7).
Friday, 18 February 2011
The One Princilple - An interesting read
Loss of ‘Life’ Prevention – you only need ONE principle - Check it out and let me have your comments.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
An 11 year old nails it - All about Jesus!
Amazing! 11 Year-Old Reveals Jesus Throughout the Entire Bible! CLICK HERE
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