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Showing posts from February, 2020

Disciplining Your Children

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The month of February 2020 will be on the theme of Parenting. BUT before all of you single and married without children folks check out, I want you to know that many of the applications found in these articles will not only be useful for you in the future, but for the here and now and I will be putting some applications specifically for you in the last paragraph of each section. ********************************** Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  Ephesians 6:4 Before Monica and I got married, we had the talk. No, not the talk, but the talk about how we were going to raise and discipline our children. We were both in complete agreement that we would, when necessary, discipline them with the paddle for a variety of reasons (read on). Now, I know in today's day and age corporal punishment can be a controversial issue for some, but it really should not be at all. Some will argue that there are m

Week 3: The Christian's Great Interest

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Recommended Reading: Part 2; Introduction- Chapter 2 (30 pages) Bible Study Questions Introduction Read Romans 1:18-21 Do you think that it is fair for God to punish all mankind even if they have never heard of the Bible or much of its content? What does this passage reveal about man's knowledge of God? Chapter 1 Read Matthew 7:21-27 Many today declare Christ to be Lord of their lives, but many will find that they were never truly saved. How can you examine yourself to ensure that you are of the faith? When you hear the Word proclaimed each Lord's Day, would you say that you are a wise builder who hears the Word and does them? What two things this week could you do in order to apply the sermon you heard this week? Chapter 2 Read Isaiah 55:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 What does it mean to come and "buy wine and milk without money and without price"? In what ways have you been buying bread that does not satisfy? What areas need a reorientation back to G

Discipling Your Children

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The month of February 2020 will be on the theme of Parenting. BUT before all of you single and married without children folks check out, I want you to know that many of the applications found in these articles will not only be useful for you in the future, but for the here and now and I will be putting some applications specifically for you in the last paragraph of each section. ********************************** 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  Deuteronomy 6:5-7  One of the things that I still recall from my time at WestPoint is how to clear my weapon should I encounter a jam. I remember training the procedure so many times that it became second nature to me. And e

Week 2: The Christian's Great Interest

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Recommended Reading: Chapters 4-6 (38 pages) Bible Study Questions Chapter 4 Read 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 From the reading, what sort of activities does Paul express that new creations are engaged with? Do you find that you are attempting to accomplish all of those things on your efforts? Is this right? Is this wrong? What does verse 18 say? Chapter 5 Read Luke 18:9-14 What differences do see between the Pharisee and the tax collector in their prayers and approach to God? What does this parable seem to stress as God's desire? How can you grow in this area? Personal Reflection Questions: Chapter 4 What areas in your life needs further pruning from the Lord? Have you come to depend on the Spirit and His Word on these matters? We all know that we fall short of the glory of God. In what ways have you made that an excuse for you to not live the renewed life that God has called you into? Chapter 5 Why do you think it can be so difficult at times to differentiate bet

Devoted to your family

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The month of February 2020 will be on the theme of Parenting. BUT before all of you single and married without children folks check out, I want you to know that many of the applications found in these articles will not only be useful for you in the future, but for the here and now and I will be putting some applications specifically for you in the last paragraph of each section. ********************************** ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.  Isaiah 58: 3  I am a very light sleeper. I wake up every time the sound of my baby making his little shriek noises or cries, when Monica gets out of bed to feed him, and even when she climbs back into bed. And last night was no different. At about 7 am, Monica was just climbing back into bed, exhausted from caring for the little guy and it was 7:05 when he started to

Week 1: The Christian's Great Interest

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Recommended Reading: Introduction-Chapter 3 (42 pages) Bible Study Questions Chapter 1 Read 2 Corinthians 13:1-10 Why is it important for us to "examine ourselves, to see whether [we] are in the faith"? By what measure are you examining yourself? As we are all called to make disciples, do you have this much boldness to call them to examine their own hearts? Have you lacked in obedience in making disciples? Have you lacked in standing firm on the Scriptures with them, gently leading them to truth? Chapter 2 Read 2 Corinthians 7:10 and John 16:4-15 Why is it so dangerous to confuse temporary convictions with true Spirit-led convictions? If the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts the world of sin, does the world need more knowledge, information, or experiences in order to learn that they are sinners? Chapter 3 Read 1 John 5:13-21 What promises do you find are given to those who believe in the name of the Son of God? How can we walk with greater confidence that

Family Worship

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The month of February 2020 will be on the theme of Parenting. BUT before all of you single and married without children folks check out, I want you to know that many of the applications found in these articles will not only be useful for you in the future, but for the here and now and I will be putting some applications specifically for you in the last paragraph of each section. ********************************** "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish…Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."  Ephesians 5:25-27, 6:4 As much as I would like to say that I grew up in a family that practiced family worship for many generations a

Book Club: The Christian's Great Interest

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Hey there everyone, I hope that you have been reading a lot of good books this year! I alluded in my last post that I have restructured the format for the Reading Guides and I will talk about the new format at the end of this post. But for those who are ready to get started on the next book club pick, go out an grab a copy of The Christian's Great Interest  by William Guthrie. Below is a description of the book itself: Book Description All of Guthrie’s teaching and pastoral experience were poured into The Christian’s Great Interest – his only book. The remarkable fact that it has gone through more than eighty editions and been translated into several languages testifies to its value. This book describes in a clear and attractive style what it means to be a Christian, and how to become one. This book is all about Christ: the Christian’s great interest should be Christ; the unbeliever needs to develop an interest in Christ. It describes in a simple, clear, and attractive st