The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Monday, 26 January 2015 “The half-truth: the positive spiritual uses of Scripture”
Daily Scripture: 2 Timothy 2: An Approved Worker
14 Don’t let anyone forget these things. And with God[a] as your witness, you must warn them not to argue about words. These arguments don’t help anyone. In fact, they ruin everyone who listens to them. 15 Do your best to win God’s approval as a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message.[Footnotes:
2.14 God: Some manuscripts have “the Lord,” and others have “Christ.”]
3:15 Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. 16 Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. 17 The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds.
Reflection Questions:
“God said it, I believe it, that settles it” rightly says Scripture is key for spiritual growth. Paul told Timothy Scripture was useful “for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.” (He did not say it would answer all historical, scientific or financial questions.) The Bible recorded God’s dealings with humans, and guides our interaction with God.
• The United Methodist Articles of Religion, which date back to church founder John Wesley, say, “The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation.” That echoes Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 3:15. What parts of the Bible’s story played the biggest role in leading you to Christ and salvation by his grace? Have you ever read stories or commands in your Bible that seem NOT to contribute to that purpose?
• In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul urged Timothy to be “one who interprets the message of truth correctly.” He knew the Scriptures required interpretation. Then in chapter 3, he listed the main roles that Scripture can play. How (if at all) is the Bible playing each of these roles in your life? How can your Bible study focus more deeply on God’s purposes for inspiring and preserving these writings?
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for moving people like Moses, David, Luke, Paul (and others whose names we don’t even know) to write the books collected in the Bible. Guide me as I study their writings, and help me hear your voice through my study. Amen.
Rev. Chris Holliday serves as the associate minister at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection West.
____________________________
• The United Methodist Articles of Religion, which date back to church founder John Wesley, say, “The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation.” That echoes Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 3:15. What parts of the Bible’s story played the biggest role in leading you to Christ and salvation by his grace? Have you ever read stories or commands in your Bible that seem NOT to contribute to that purpose?
• In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul urged Timothy to be “one who interprets the message of truth correctly.” He knew the Scriptures required interpretation. Then in chapter 3, he listed the main roles that Scripture can play. How (if at all) is the Bible playing each of these roles in your life? How can your Bible study focus more deeply on God’s purposes for inspiring and preserving these writings?
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for moving people like Moses, David, Luke, Paul (and others whose names we don’t even know) to write the books collected in the Bible. Guide me as I study their writings, and help me hear your voice through my study. Amen.
Insight from Chris Holliday
Rev. Chris Holliday serves as the associate minister at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection West.
As I study the Bible and strive to live in the ways of God, I too focus on interpreting scripture through the lens of Jesus, the Living Word; and I find myself using the following passage as my ultimate filter:
Matthew 22:34-40–When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had left the Sadducees speechless, they met together. One of them, a legal expert, tested him. “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
So how do we love God and our neighbors? One week ago today, Resurrection West held our annual MLK MEGA MISSION. As we planned the event, we thought we might have around 150 people come to the church to help with a variety of mission projects that centered upon caring for our neighbors near and far and honoring the transformational, God-given visions and dreams of Dr. King.
Imagine our surprise and wonder when God inspired a group of 340 children, students and adults to come out and serve. 10,000 meals were packed to help with international hunger. Over 500 lunch sacks were assembled for local distribution to the homeless in Kansas City. Over 50 no-sew blankets were lovingly crafted to help those in-need stay warmer this winter. And over 500 crafts were made to help children and families at Resurrection and in the wider community learn about the importance of prayer, connecting with God, embracing diversity and serving all. Through the efforts of a spirited and passionate group of Resurrection people, a positive Christian difference will be made in the lives of many who are in-need and/or homeless in the Kansas City area and around the world.
May we all continue to find ways to love God and our neighbors near and far, so that one day all may know the love, hope, peace, and joy of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
To help you get a sense of the day, here are a few pictures of this year’s MLK MEGA MISSION.
No comments:
Post a Comment