Study The Bible

1. Read the Bible: Read all of it (Dt 8:3; Ac 20:24). Read it regularly/daily (Ps 1:2; 119:97).
2. Read commentaries.
3. Read books (2 Tim 4:13).
4. Read blogs.
5. #1: Read relationally (Dt 6:5).
6. Read and sense that there is one who is reading you (1 Cor 8:3; Gal 4:9).
7. Read, discuss and share with others in community (Heb 10:25), not in isolation.
8. Read with meditation, reflection and contemplation because you love God with all your mind, thoughts, feelings and emotion (Dt 6:5).

Martin Luther said, "In truth you cannot read too much in Scripture; and what you read you cannot read too carefully, and what you read carefully you cannot understand too well, and what you understand well you cannot teach too well, and what you teach well you cannot live too well."

Man and Woman: ABCs

MAN: “So be strong, act like a man” (1 Kings 2:2). "Be courageous like a man" (HCSB). "Show yourself a man" (ESV). "Prove yourself a man" (NKJV).

1. Assertive.
2. Bold. Brave. Not a bully.
3. Courageous (Josh 1:8). Confident. Not a coward.
4. Diligent (Gen 1:28; 2:15).
5. Energetic.
6. Friendly (Jn 15:15).
7. Gentle (Mt 11:28-30).

WOMAN: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight" (1 Pet 3:3-4).

1. Affectionate (unAvailable)

The Girl Nobody Wanted (Genesis 29:15-35): Questions (3/11/14)

The Search for One True Love (Gen 29:15-35) [An alternate title (by Tim Keller): The Girl Nobody Wanted.]

I. The Desire of Love

1. What might Laban know about Jacob (Gen 29:10-14)? What was the motivation of Laban and Jacob (Gen 29:15-20)? How is Laban's scheme ingenious, though cruel (Gen 29:21-26)? What did Laban gain?

II. The Devastation of Love

2. Do you understand that "in the morning, it's always Leah...not Rachel" (Gen 29:25)? Though Jacob was shocked and furious (Gen 29:25), why did he agree so compliantly to Laban's explanation and further unreasonable offer (Gen 29:26-30)? How was Laban's deceit with Jacob parallel to Jacob's deceit with his old blind father? How might Leah feel through all of this?

3. How does the affirmation of Gen 28:13-15 and the discipline of Gen 29:15-30 work together for Jacob's good (Heb 12:5-6; Prov 3:12; Amos 3:2; Gen 50:20)?
   

III. The Deconstruction of Love

4. Identify the idols of Jacob (Gen 29:18,20,30), Leah (Gen 29:32-34), Rachel (Gen 30:1,8). How does God deal with the lovelessness of Leah (Gen 29:31)? The barrenness of Rachel (Gen 30:22-24)? What does this tell us about God's salvation (Isa 53:2; Jn 1:11; Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34; 1 Cor 1: 27-29)?

Reference: The Search For One True Love (Gen 29:15-35)

Consider Both Sides When You Express Yourself

I asked a friend why some UBFers are upset with this post that I wrote: Sin is having an identity other than in God. He explained it so well in an email to me:

"It was a good article, Dr. Ben. I think with any critical self reflection, we can inadvertently dismiss the heart of an entire community's efforts, which is ironically the antithesis of your article. It's not necessarily your duty to always cover all grounds, but I can see why people would feel dismissed by what you wrote since you didn't counter it with any mention of people's good underlying, heart's intention. It is probably true that not all people have the right heart's motive, but some, even many do. Though they may have been misled to think that using social pressures is okay, I find many people just want to be used by God for the salvation of souls and the development of Jesus' disciples."

Very useful points for me to always consider are:

1. "Dismissing an entire community's efforts." I failed to realize this.
2. "It's not necessarily your duty to always cover all grounds." Yet, I should always attempt to do so.
   
3. "Not countering what I write with any mention of people's good underlying, heart's intention." I've done this occasionally, but not often enough.
4. "Some, even many do have a right heart's motive." I believe that this is true, and that they would be hurt by the dismissive way I write.
5. "They may have been misled to think that using social pressure is okay." I keep pounding this point, but I perhaps should back off on this, or write about this very tenderly and gingerly (which I may not know how to do!).
6. "Many people just want to be used by God for the salvation of souls and the development of Jesus' disciples." Without a doubt I know that this is true. I should remember Phil 1:18.

I thought this is so useful for me to remember and consider every time I need to express myself or write something, anything. (Here is David Weed's very useful comment on (abusing one's) freedom.)

ABCs of Christian Living

"...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you" (Phil 2:12b-13a).

Very simply, if you are a Christian you:

• Admit you're a sinner, 
• Believe in Christ and 
• Confess your sins.

How would you then live practically? You "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12-13).

• Know that God is working in you through all the good and bad that is happening about you.
• In response to God working in you, you work it out in the practical details of your life.
• In all things you seek to obey the will of God for your life (Phil 2:12a).

These are suggestions for practically working out the Christian life:

1. Accountability (Heb 3:13; 2 Sam 12:1-14). Atonement (Lk 23:34; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 2:20). Availability. Accessibility.
2. Beauty (Ps 27:4; Isa 33:17). Be a Blessing (Gen 12:3; Jn 13:34; Jas 1:19; Phil 2:3; Rom 12:3). Blessedness. Begin with the Bible (Dt 8:3; Ps 1:2; Ac 20:27). Not bound by boredom (tedium, duty, responsibility).
3. Constancy of Christ (Mk 1:15, 35; 1 Th 5:17). Community (Ps 133:1). Confession. Church (1 Tim 3:15).
4. Delight in the Divine (Ps 37:4). DO IT! (Jn 13:17; 2 Tim 2:1-10).
5. Experiantial life (Ps 34:8). Equality (Gen 1:27). Evangelism (Mt 28:29).
6. Freedom (Gal 5:1; 2 Cor 3:17; Jn 8:31-32; Gen 2:16). Friendship (Jn 15:15). Fellowship (Ps 133:1; 1 Jn 1:3).
7. Grace (1 Cor 15:10). Gospel (Ac 20:24). God (2 Cor 13:14).

Living The Christian Life

2 Timothy 1:6

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God..."

Jn 10:10b - The life God promised us and called us to live through Christ and in Christ is a full and abundant life.

Consider the what, why and how of the Christian life:

1. What the Christian life is
• 2 Tim 1:5 - a sincere (real) faith.
• Rom 1:17 - living by faith.
• Eph 2:8-9 - faith is a gift of God.
2. Why live the Christian life

Love (Dt 6:5)

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (The Shema)

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

1. What love is
2. Why we love
3. How to love

I. What love is

• God is love (1 Jn 4:8, 16).
• Not words or feelings, but a practical demonstration (Rom 5:8; Jn 3:16).
  

II. Why we love

• God first loved us (1 Jn 4:19).
• God redeemed us from slavery (Dt 5:15; 15:15).