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"God’s message in human words"
Monday, 14 August 2017
Jeremiah 1:1 These are the words of Yirmeyahu the son of Hilkiyahu, one of the cohanim living in ‘Anatot, in the territory of Binyamin. 2 The word of Adonai came to him during the days of Yoshiyahu the son of Amon, king of Y’hudah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It also came during the days of Y’hoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y’hudah, continuing until the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y’hudah, right up until the time Yerushalayim was carried away captive, in the fifth month., 2 Peter 1:16 For when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, we did not rely on cunningly contrived myths. On the contrary, we saw his majesty with our own eyes. 17 For we were there when he received honor and glory from God the Father; and the voice came to him from the grandeur of the Sh’khinah, saying, “This is my son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him!” 18 We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 Yes, we have the prophetic Word made very certain. You will do well to pay attention to it as to a light shining in a dark, murky place, until the Day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all, understand this: no prophecy of Scripture is to be interpreted by an individual on his own; 21 for never has a prophecy come as a result of human willing — on the contrary, people moved by the Ruach HaKodesh spoke a message from God.
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These verses show how Bible writers themselves described their writing process. Jeremiah said the words were his, though the word (i.e. message) was God’s. Peter wrote that though the Holy Spirit led them, men and women did the “speaking.” Pastor Adam Hamilton wrote, “Regardless of what Paul, or Luke, or Peter perceived themselves to be doing, many Christians today believe that God influenced the choice of every word and every idea, so that the words written were literally the words of God.” But, he added, that view “is not taught in the Bible…. It was not a doctrine taught in the creeds of the early church.” *
• The Bible writers were not robots. Scholar Craig Keener noted: “Ancient Judaism and Greek thinkers generally viewed prophetic inspiration as a divine possession or frenzy, in which the prophet’s rational mind was replaced by the divine word…. The various literary styles of different Old Testament prophets indicates that this was not quite the case; inspiration still used human faculties and vocabulary.” * As you read various parts of the Bible, notice each writer’s personal “voice.” When has the Bible spoken to your heart as you read a part of God’s message conveyed by a writer centuries ago?
• Peter compared the prophetic writings to “a lamp shining in a dark place.” He didn’t make that up— he adapted images from the Bible he had (the Hebrew Scriptures, our “Old Testament”— cf. Psalm 119:105, Malachi 4:2). Recall a time when, as you read the Bible asking God for wisdom, you had this sense of a lamp shining on some dark challenge you faced.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I read my Bible, shine into my heart through its message so that your kingdom life of love, joy and peace will shine out of me. Amen.
* Hamilton, Adam. Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today (pp. 138-139). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
** Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, comment on 2 Peter 1:20-21.
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Chris Abel
Chris Abel is the Young Adults Pastor at Resurrection, and he describes himself as a "Pastor/Creative-type/Adventurer." A former atheist turned passionate follower of Christ, he completed his seminary education in Washington, DC. Before coming to Resurrection, Chris was a campus pastor near St. Louis, MO.
I got in trouble a lot in school.
It began from an early age, when I came to understand something other children my age simply failed to see...
Adults were idiots.
And I let adults know what I thought of them. I was constantly in detention, mouthing off, arguing with authority, bending and breaking the "rules." I was a nightmare for my teachers. (So sorry!) Looking back, I think my rebellion came from a fairly simple bit of logic:
Adults demanded respect they hadn’t earned.
I mean, that was basically it. The adults in my life couldn’t figure out their marriages, their purpose, their finances, or their leadership. And as a kid, I was often the one who suffered from the mistakes of the adults around me. Whether it was parents, teachers, or church leaders… adults let me down. And what absolutely confounded me was that they persisted to demand respect which, naturally, made them seem insecure and even less worthy of respect.
Needless to say, no one likes children like this and I made an already trying childhood even more cringeworthy for myself.
But eventually my anger and disappointment transformed into something else when I began to have adults in my life who simply refused to demand respect. Rather than treat me with disdain or annoyance, they… actually treated me like I was almost an adult. They asked my opinion. They looked past my annoying traits. And they spoke encouragement into my life. Even more importantly, they lived good lives. They showed me that you could live for something beyond yourself and that people could make mistakes and still have the humility to ask for forgiveness.They showed me lives that made sacrifices for others, and showed me how to use money in generous ways that had never been modeled for me.
The truth is, I learned to respect adults… when they earned respect.
This might be a controversial idea. And the reality is, it’s an example of the gap in generations. Older generations tend to expect respect.
But for emerging generations, respect has to be earned. It is not given freely.
And friends, the Bible is no exception.
See, there are people today who demand respect for the scriptures. They wield the “authority” of the Bible like a weapon, while often never doing the hard work of understanding the text in its cultural context. And want to know how millennials and next generations react?
They simply walk away.
Because respect must be earned, not claimed. Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Church in Atlanta, has some great insight into this:
"Appealing to post-Christian people on the basis of the authority of Scripture has essentially the same effect as a Muslim imam appealing to you on the basis of the authority of the Quran. . . .
Close to half our population does not view the Bible as authoritative either. If you’re trying to reach people with an undergraduate degree or greater, over half your target audience will not be moved by the Bible says, the Bible teaches, God’s Word is clear or anything along those lines."
His response? Don’t force the authority. Tell the story.
It’s not simply “what Paul wrote.” It’s “Paul wrote this after being so compelled by an encounter with a risen Jesus that he literally turned his life around and began serving the people he was previously murdering.”
He says we need to tell the story, not claim the authority.
In today's scripture passage, we read the words “These are the words of Jeremiah.” It's like Bible Inception—The Word of God in the words of Jeremiah. While God is speaking through the scripture… these are also the words of a man who bravely stood up to the power of a nation that had lost its way. The book of Jeremiah isn’t just “God’s Word.” It’s God’s work in the life of a guy who faced incredible obstacles thousands of years ago.
But if you look closely, the Bible never demands authority. It earns it. It tells the story. And in this case, it’s through the life and words of Jeremiah. We don’t need to add anything else to make it more respectable. I love that about the Bible. It doesn’t need defenders and it doesn’t need protecting. It simply tells the big story to whoever might hear it.
To me it holds authority because it’s personal and messy and brave. And for thousands of years people have gotten hope from the story.
So my advice? Let the Book breathe. Don’t force it to be something it’s not. Let it earn your respect. Like an adult earning the respect of a child, the Bible can handle itself. It's a beautiful gift. But even beautiful gifts can feel like a burden when they're forced on us. Just let it be a gift.
P.S. And have some grace for that punk kid in your life. You never know, he (or she) might become a pastor someday.
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"What the Bible is meant to do"
Tuesday, 15 August 2017
2 Timothy 3:10-17
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The Hebrew Scriptures shaped the life of the apostle Paul’s young friend Timothy, as they did Paul’s (Acts 18:1-3, 2 Timothy 1:5). In his farewell letter, Paul succinctly summarized for Timothy the purposes he saw the Bible serving in a Christian’s life. The Scriptures, he said, would continue to shape Timothy’s character and direct him to God. (He did not say they would answer all Timothy’s historical, scientific or financial questions.) The Bible’s purpose is to tell the story of God’s dealings with humans, and shape our interaction with God.
• Article 5 of 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 echoed 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 found examples in your Bible reading that seem NOT to advance that purpose?
• Paul said that when we read the Bible correctly, “the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.” Have you ever seen the Bible used in ways that provoke bad results—e.g. tension, fear, guilt or hatred? What keys have you found that make your Bible reading a time with God that equips you to do everything that is good?
Prayer: O God, master and guide, I need your help today and every day as I read the Bible. Equip me more and more each day to be your physical presence in my world. Amen.
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“Open my eyes”
Wednesday, 16 August 2017
Psalm 119:9-18
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Reading the Bible is different from reading a bank statement, newspaper or Facebook page. To grow spiritually from Bible reading calls for us to open our heart as well as our mind to what God wants to say to us through the Bible. Today’s passage offers a lovely model of a prayer that can prepare us to “hear” God’s word on the pages of Scripture. • “I have hidden your word in my heart,” the psalmist wrote. What does it take to move the word from the printed page (or the screen) into your heart? Here’s an easy way to start: choose a short Bible passage (e.g. John 3:16-17, Psalm 23, or maybe Psalm 119:11 from today’s reading) and commit it to memory this week.
• At the same time, remember this: “The Bible is more than just a big book of inspirational verses and some do’s and don’ts. It’s a story. And like any story, it requires proper context. The Bible we hold in our hands today has been translated across multiple languages and was originally written in a culture much different than ours. This is important to understand because without proper context you will ultimately read the Bible out of context.” * How can you grow in your ability to relate all the “pieces” of the Bible to the big story it tells? Two good options for learning the Bible’s big story are “Meet Your Bible” (Visit cor.org/leawood/grownight for more information) and Disciple 1 Bible Study (cor.org/leawood/disciple).
Prayer: Lord God, open my eyes so that like your faithful followers in all eras, I can examine the wonders of your Instruction! Amen.
* Tyler Speegle, “Five Signs You’re Reading the Bible All Wrong.” Relevant Magazine, web version
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"Jesus lived the Bible’s eternal principles"
Thursday, 17 August 2017
Matthew 4:1-11
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Jesus was tempted to make choices that would have derailed his saving mission. In one case, the tempter tried to mislead Jesus by quoting a single Bible verse. But Jesus grasped the Bible’s overall message, met every temptation with a verse that embodied a deep Bible principle, and no doubt knew that the verse the tempter quoted was a poetic image, not a literal pledge. As we read the Bible, we may find things we question, and some historical puzzles. But like Jesus, we can prayerfully seek the principles that will guide our lives right.
• In verse 6, the tempter quoted from Psalm 91. Jesus didn’t just say, “From the Bible—must be right.” Scholar Scot McKnight wrote that at times we “read the Bible as a collection of… sanctified morsels of truth…. the blessings and promises of God in the Bible emerge from a real life’s story that also knows that we live in a broken world and some days are tough.” * What steps can help you discern the Bible’s core truths? How can it be spiritually (as well as physically) unsafe to take all Bible verses literally, as the tempter urged?
• Our culture tends to keep (and add to) the medieval idea of a horned devil in red tights. Do you think such a figure would have had any appeal for Jesus? Has temptation ever come to you, not as a big “devil” figure, but as a tiny inner whisper urging you to choose a path other than God’s? How can the Bible help you resist that whisper?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, guide me to read the Bible with discernment, as you did. Use it to guide me and armor me against temptations to veer from your path. Amen.
* Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008, pp. 46-47.
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"The apostle Paul’s thoughtful quoting of the Bible"
Friday, 18 August 2017
Romans 15:1-13
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The apostle Paul urged Roman Christians to stay united despite their differing Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. How did choose the verses he quoted to them? He read the Bible as a sweeping story, not a set of free-standing verses of equal truth and weight. Though some Old Testament verses might sound as if God loved Jews more than Gentiles, Paul chose verses that said God wanted to reach all people, including Gentiles. He’d thought and prayed hard about the Bible, and traced the directional arc of God’s purpose, not just isolated verses.
• Pastor Hamilton wrote that as we read the Bible, we need something like “a kitchen colander or strainer, holding the important things while the less desirable are rinsed off.” He suggested that one of the best “strainers” is “What is the heart, character, and will of God that Jesus reveals?” So, he concluded, “It is Jesus who serves as the final Word by which other words of scripture are to be judged.” * In what ways can you see Paul using that “strainer” principle in his choice of verses to guide the Roman Christians?
• Paul was living out God’s great purpose, shown in Jesus, to extend love and grace to all people. On that basis, Paul bypassed places where the Bible sounded exclusionary. Have you ever known someone who rejected the Bible because of violent or sexist verses that don’t fit with Jesus' teachings? How can thoughtful Bible reading help you honor God’s inspiration while recognizing human and time-limited parts of Scripture?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, lead my heart beyond theories, abstractions and rigid systems. Meet me as I come to the Bible, and speak your life-giving word into my heart. Amen.
* Hamilton, Adam. Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today (pp. 176, 177). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
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"Jesus: God’s final word"
Saturday, 19 August 2017
Hebrews 1:1-4, Luke 24:13-32
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A key guiding principle for Disciple 1 Bible study is, “The Word of God is Jesus Christ, and the words of the Bible tell us about that Word. Therefore, when we study the words of the Bible we always look behind, in, and through the words for God’s Word—Jesus Christ.” Luke said that was how Jesus himself explained the Bible to his followers. The letter to the Hebrews said God’s greatest revelation, God’s final word, was not a book, but a person: the person of Jesus: “The Son is the light of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s being.” That’s why only through the Son can we rightly understand the rest of God’s story the Bible unfolds.
• Scholar N. T. Wright said, “The Jewish law told a story which came to its climax in [Jesus]. It pointed to the ideal for human life, and to God’s provision of sacrifice for human sin, not so that people could boast of how successfully they’d accomplished it all, but to point to the Messiah, the truly human being (see John 19:5), the lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Jesus’ charge against his contemporaries [in John 5:39-40] is thus that they have been looking at the right book but reading it the wrong way.” * How can you study the Bible, not just as a cerebral task (though it calls for all your mental firepower), but to come into Jesus’ presence and learn from him? In what ways does making him the standard of all truth cast a clearer light on many of the Bible’s difficult parts? How have you learned to look “behind, in and through” the Bible’s words for Jesus?
Prayer: Loving Jesus, I don’t just want to read the right book; I want to read it the right way. Help me know how to look behind, in and through the Bible’s words for you, my Savior and Lord. Amen.
* N. T. Wright, John for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1–10. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 69.
Family Activity: To fully live into God’s wisdom and grace, it is important that we know Scripture. Create a stack of Scriptures for your home. Gather and distribute colored index cards and pens or pencils along with a Bible to each family member. Ask each person to choose 3-4 favorite Bible verses and write them on his or her index cards along with his or her name. Collect the cards and keep them on the dining table. Before each meal, select a card, read the passage and pray for the person who chose it. Place that card on the bottom of the stack. If you have young family members, invite them to draw pictures describing the verses or to help other family members. Keep adding to your family’s stack throughout the year and see how many verses you can memorize!
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-------Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Amy Harris and family on the death of her husband Heath Harris, 8/7
• Delmar Ferguson and family on the death of his son Steven Ferguson, 8/6
• Rhonda Scofield and family on the death of her brother Steven Ferguson, 8/6
• Brenda Sanders and family on the death of her father James Earl Mills, 8/4
• Marian Smith and family on the death of her husband Charles W. “Chuck” Smith, 8/1
• Allison Ewing and family on the death of her father Charles W. “Chuck” Smith, 8/1
• Shanda Clayton and family on the death of her mother Dolly Southgate, 7/31
• Jane Millard and family on the death of her son Thad Stewart Millard, 7/24
• Stacie Wells and family on the death of her mother Janice Remele, 7/23
• Caroline Wells and family on the death of her grandmother, Janice Remele, 7/23
"God’s message in human words"
Monday, 14 August 2017
Jeremiah 1:1 These are the words of Yirmeyahu the son of Hilkiyahu, one of the cohanim living in ‘Anatot, in the territory of Binyamin. 2 The word of Adonai came to him during the days of Yoshiyahu the son of Amon, king of Y’hudah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It also came during the days of Y’hoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y’hudah, continuing until the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y’hudah, right up until the time Yerushalayim was carried away captive, in the fifth month., 2 Peter 1:16 For when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, we did not rely on cunningly contrived myths. On the contrary, we saw his majesty with our own eyes. 17 For we were there when he received honor and glory from God the Father; and the voice came to him from the grandeur of the Sh’khinah, saying, “This is my son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him!” 18 We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 Yes, we have the prophetic Word made very certain. You will do well to pay attention to it as to a light shining in a dark, murky place, until the Day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all, understand this: no prophecy of Scripture is to be interpreted by an individual on his own; 21 for never has a prophecy come as a result of human willing — on the contrary, people moved by the Ruach HaKodesh spoke a message from God.
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These verses show how Bible writers themselves described their writing process. Jeremiah said the words were his, though the word (i.e. message) was God’s. Peter wrote that though the Holy Spirit led them, men and women did the “speaking.” Pastor Adam Hamilton wrote, “Regardless of what Paul, or Luke, or Peter perceived themselves to be doing, many Christians today believe that God influenced the choice of every word and every idea, so that the words written were literally the words of God.” But, he added, that view “is not taught in the Bible…. It was not a doctrine taught in the creeds of the early church.” *
• The Bible writers were not robots. Scholar Craig Keener noted: “Ancient Judaism and Greek thinkers generally viewed prophetic inspiration as a divine possession or frenzy, in which the prophet’s rational mind was replaced by the divine word…. The various literary styles of different Old Testament prophets indicates that this was not quite the case; inspiration still used human faculties and vocabulary.” * As you read various parts of the Bible, notice each writer’s personal “voice.” When has the Bible spoken to your heart as you read a part of God’s message conveyed by a writer centuries ago?
• Peter compared the prophetic writings to “a lamp shining in a dark place.” He didn’t make that up— he adapted images from the Bible he had (the Hebrew Scriptures, our “Old Testament”— cf. Psalm 119:105, Malachi 4:2). Recall a time when, as you read the Bible asking God for wisdom, you had this sense of a lamp shining on some dark challenge you faced.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I read my Bible, shine into my heart through its message so that your kingdom life of love, joy and peace will shine out of me. Amen.
* Hamilton, Adam. Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today (pp. 138-139). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
** Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, comment on 2 Peter 1:20-21.
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Chris AbelChris Abel is the Young Adults Pastor at Resurrection, and he describes himself as a "Pastor/Creative-type/Adventurer." A former atheist turned passionate follower of Christ, he completed his seminary education in Washington, DC. Before coming to Resurrection, Chris was a campus pastor near St. Louis, MO.
I got in trouble a lot in school.
It began from an early age, when I came to understand something other children my age simply failed to see...
Adults were idiots.
And I let adults know what I thought of them. I was constantly in detention, mouthing off, arguing with authority, bending and breaking the "rules." I was a nightmare for my teachers. (So sorry!) Looking back, I think my rebellion came from a fairly simple bit of logic:
Adults demanded respect they hadn’t earned.
I mean, that was basically it. The adults in my life couldn’t figure out their marriages, their purpose, their finances, or their leadership. And as a kid, I was often the one who suffered from the mistakes of the adults around me. Whether it was parents, teachers, or church leaders… adults let me down. And what absolutely confounded me was that they persisted to demand respect which, naturally, made them seem insecure and even less worthy of respect.
Needless to say, no one likes children like this and I made an already trying childhood even more cringeworthy for myself.
But eventually my anger and disappointment transformed into something else when I began to have adults in my life who simply refused to demand respect. Rather than treat me with disdain or annoyance, they… actually treated me like I was almost an adult. They asked my opinion. They looked past my annoying traits. And they spoke encouragement into my life. Even more importantly, they lived good lives. They showed me that you could live for something beyond yourself and that people could make mistakes and still have the humility to ask for forgiveness.They showed me lives that made sacrifices for others, and showed me how to use money in generous ways that had never been modeled for me.
The truth is, I learned to respect adults… when they earned respect.
This might be a controversial idea. And the reality is, it’s an example of the gap in generations. Older generations tend to expect respect.
But for emerging generations, respect has to be earned. It is not given freely.
And friends, the Bible is no exception.
See, there are people today who demand respect for the scriptures. They wield the “authority” of the Bible like a weapon, while often never doing the hard work of understanding the text in its cultural context. And want to know how millennials and next generations react?
They simply walk away.
Because respect must be earned, not claimed. Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Church in Atlanta, has some great insight into this:
"Appealing to post-Christian people on the basis of the authority of Scripture has essentially the same effect as a Muslim imam appealing to you on the basis of the authority of the Quran. . . .
Close to half our population does not view the Bible as authoritative either. If you’re trying to reach people with an undergraduate degree or greater, over half your target audience will not be moved by the Bible says, the Bible teaches, God’s Word is clear or anything along those lines."
His response? Don’t force the authority. Tell the story.
It’s not simply “what Paul wrote.” It’s “Paul wrote this after being so compelled by an encounter with a risen Jesus that he literally turned his life around and began serving the people he was previously murdering.”
He says we need to tell the story, not claim the authority.
In today's scripture passage, we read the words “These are the words of Jeremiah.” It's like Bible Inception—The Word of God in the words of Jeremiah. While God is speaking through the scripture… these are also the words of a man who bravely stood up to the power of a nation that had lost its way. The book of Jeremiah isn’t just “God’s Word.” It’s God’s work in the life of a guy who faced incredible obstacles thousands of years ago.
But if you look closely, the Bible never demands authority. It earns it. It tells the story. And in this case, it’s through the life and words of Jeremiah. We don’t need to add anything else to make it more respectable. I love that about the Bible. It doesn’t need defenders and it doesn’t need protecting. It simply tells the big story to whoever might hear it.
To me it holds authority because it’s personal and messy and brave. And for thousands of years people have gotten hope from the story.
So my advice? Let the Book breathe. Don’t force it to be something it’s not. Let it earn your respect. Like an adult earning the respect of a child, the Bible can handle itself. It's a beautiful gift. But even beautiful gifts can feel like a burden when they're forced on us. Just let it be a gift.
P.S. And have some grace for that punk kid in your life. You never know, he (or she) might become a pastor someday.
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"What the Bible is meant to do"
Tuesday, 15 August 2017
2 Timothy 3:10-17
-------
The Hebrew Scriptures shaped the life of the apostle Paul’s young friend Timothy, as they did Paul’s (Acts 18:1-3, 2 Timothy 1:5). In his farewell letter, Paul succinctly summarized for Timothy the purposes he saw the Bible serving in a Christian’s life. The Scriptures, he said, would continue to shape Timothy’s character and direct him to God. (He did not say they would answer all Timothy’s historical, scientific or financial questions.) The Bible’s purpose is to tell the story of God’s dealings with humans, and shape our interaction with God.
• Article 5 of 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 echoed 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 found examples in your Bible reading that seem NOT to advance that purpose?
• Paul said that when we read the Bible correctly, “the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.” Have you ever seen the Bible used in ways that provoke bad results—e.g. tension, fear, guilt or hatred? What keys have you found that make your Bible reading a time with God that equips you to do everything that is good?
Prayer: O God, master and guide, I need your help today and every day as I read the Bible. Equip me more and more each day to be your physical presence in my world. Amen.
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-------
“Open my eyes”
Wednesday, 16 August 2017
Psalm 119:9-18
-------
Reading the Bible is different from reading a bank statement, newspaper or Facebook page. To grow spiritually from Bible reading calls for us to open our heart as well as our mind to what God wants to say to us through the Bible. Today’s passage offers a lovely model of a prayer that can prepare us to “hear” God’s word on the pages of Scripture. • “I have hidden your word in my heart,” the psalmist wrote. What does it take to move the word from the printed page (or the screen) into your heart? Here’s an easy way to start: choose a short Bible passage (e.g. John 3:16-17, Psalm 23, or maybe Psalm 119:11 from today’s reading) and commit it to memory this week.
• At the same time, remember this: “The Bible is more than just a big book of inspirational verses and some do’s and don’ts. It’s a story. And like any story, it requires proper context. The Bible we hold in our hands today has been translated across multiple languages and was originally written in a culture much different than ours. This is important to understand because without proper context you will ultimately read the Bible out of context.” * How can you grow in your ability to relate all the “pieces” of the Bible to the big story it tells? Two good options for learning the Bible’s big story are “Meet Your Bible” (Visit cor.org/leawood/grownight for more information) and Disciple 1 Bible Study (cor.org/leawood/disciple).
Prayer: Lord God, open my eyes so that like your faithful followers in all eras, I can examine the wonders of your Instruction! Amen.
* Tyler Speegle, “Five Signs You’re Reading the Bible All Wrong.” Relevant Magazine, web version
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"Jesus lived the Bible’s eternal principles"
Thursday, 17 August 2017
Matthew 4:1-11
-------
Jesus was tempted to make choices that would have derailed his saving mission. In one case, the tempter tried to mislead Jesus by quoting a single Bible verse. But Jesus grasped the Bible’s overall message, met every temptation with a verse that embodied a deep Bible principle, and no doubt knew that the verse the tempter quoted was a poetic image, not a literal pledge. As we read the Bible, we may find things we question, and some historical puzzles. But like Jesus, we can prayerfully seek the principles that will guide our lives right.
• In verse 6, the tempter quoted from Psalm 91. Jesus didn’t just say, “From the Bible—must be right.” Scholar Scot McKnight wrote that at times we “read the Bible as a collection of… sanctified morsels of truth…. the blessings and promises of God in the Bible emerge from a real life’s story that also knows that we live in a broken world and some days are tough.” * What steps can help you discern the Bible’s core truths? How can it be spiritually (as well as physically) unsafe to take all Bible verses literally, as the tempter urged?
• Our culture tends to keep (and add to) the medieval idea of a horned devil in red tights. Do you think such a figure would have had any appeal for Jesus? Has temptation ever come to you, not as a big “devil” figure, but as a tiny inner whisper urging you to choose a path other than God’s? How can the Bible help you resist that whisper?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, guide me to read the Bible with discernment, as you did. Use it to guide me and armor me against temptations to veer from your path. Amen.
* Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008, pp. 46-47.
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"The apostle Paul’s thoughtful quoting of the Bible"
Friday, 18 August 2017
Romans 15:1-13
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The apostle Paul urged Roman Christians to stay united despite their differing Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. How did choose the verses he quoted to them? He read the Bible as a sweeping story, not a set of free-standing verses of equal truth and weight. Though some Old Testament verses might sound as if God loved Jews more than Gentiles, Paul chose verses that said God wanted to reach all people, including Gentiles. He’d thought and prayed hard about the Bible, and traced the directional arc of God’s purpose, not just isolated verses.
• Pastor Hamilton wrote that as we read the Bible, we need something like “a kitchen colander or strainer, holding the important things while the less desirable are rinsed off.” He suggested that one of the best “strainers” is “What is the heart, character, and will of God that Jesus reveals?” So, he concluded, “It is Jesus who serves as the final Word by which other words of scripture are to be judged.” * In what ways can you see Paul using that “strainer” principle in his choice of verses to guide the Roman Christians?
• Paul was living out God’s great purpose, shown in Jesus, to extend love and grace to all people. On that basis, Paul bypassed places where the Bible sounded exclusionary. Have you ever known someone who rejected the Bible because of violent or sexist verses that don’t fit with Jesus' teachings? How can thoughtful Bible reading help you honor God’s inspiration while recognizing human and time-limited parts of Scripture?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, lead my heart beyond theories, abstractions and rigid systems. Meet me as I come to the Bible, and speak your life-giving word into my heart. Amen.
* Hamilton, Adam. Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today (pp. 176, 177). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
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"Jesus: God’s final word"
Saturday, 19 August 2017
Hebrews 1:1-4, Luke 24:13-32
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A key guiding principle for Disciple 1 Bible study is, “The Word of God is Jesus Christ, and the words of the Bible tell us about that Word. Therefore, when we study the words of the Bible we always look behind, in, and through the words for God’s Word—Jesus Christ.” Luke said that was how Jesus himself explained the Bible to his followers. The letter to the Hebrews said God’s greatest revelation, God’s final word, was not a book, but a person: the person of Jesus: “The Son is the light of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s being.” That’s why only through the Son can we rightly understand the rest of God’s story the Bible unfolds.
• Scholar N. T. Wright said, “The Jewish law told a story which came to its climax in [Jesus]. It pointed to the ideal for human life, and to God’s provision of sacrifice for human sin, not so that people could boast of how successfully they’d accomplished it all, but to point to the Messiah, the truly human being (see John 19:5), the lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Jesus’ charge against his contemporaries [in John 5:39-40] is thus that they have been looking at the right book but reading it the wrong way.” * How can you study the Bible, not just as a cerebral task (though it calls for all your mental firepower), but to come into Jesus’ presence and learn from him? In what ways does making him the standard of all truth cast a clearer light on many of the Bible’s difficult parts? How have you learned to look “behind, in and through” the Bible’s words for Jesus?
Prayer: Loving Jesus, I don’t just want to read the right book; I want to read it the right way. Help me know how to look behind, in and through the Bible’s words for you, my Savior and Lord. Amen.
* N. T. Wright, John for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1–10. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 69.
Family Activity: To fully live into God’s wisdom and grace, it is important that we know Scripture. Create a stack of Scriptures for your home. Gather and distribute colored index cards and pens or pencils along with a Bible to each family member. Ask each person to choose 3-4 favorite Bible verses and write them on his or her index cards along with his or her name. Collect the cards and keep them on the dining table. Before each meal, select a card, read the passage and pray for the person who chose it. Place that card on the bottom of the stack. If you have young family members, invite them to draw pictures describing the verses or to help other family members. Keep adding to your family’s stack throughout the year and see how many verses you can memorize!
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-------Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Amy Harris and family on the death of her husband Heath Harris, 8/7
• Delmar Ferguson and family on the death of his son Steven Ferguson, 8/6
• Rhonda Scofield and family on the death of her brother Steven Ferguson, 8/6
• Brenda Sanders and family on the death of her father James Earl Mills, 8/4
• Marian Smith and family on the death of her husband Charles W. “Chuck” Smith, 8/1
• Allison Ewing and family on the death of her father Charles W. “Chuck” Smith, 8/1
• Shanda Clayton and family on the death of her mother Dolly Southgate, 7/31
• Jane Millard and family on the death of her son Thad Stewart Millard, 7/24
• Stacie Wells and family on the death of her mother Janice Remele, 7/23
• Caroline Wells and family on the death of her grandmother, Janice Remele, 7/23
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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Or download this week's printable GPS.
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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