It's four O'Clock!

It's 4pm and you know, if you were paying attention Sunday, that I just took my afternoon medicine. My alarm, the same alarm you heard that morning has gone off telling me to do what a healthy life requires.

What kind of alarms do you have in your life that remind you to do that which promotes health? We have some built in alarms; a stomach growl tells us we're hungry, a big yawn reminds us....sorry, I just yawned....that we are tired, gray hair that tells us we're running out of time and a clock on the wall or a note on a calender can remind of us an impending due date. But what about things that are due in the future, perhaps years from now that will turn out one way or the other based on what we are doing today- like parenting your kids, doing your homework, figuring out relationships and learning to say "forgive me".

What have you read today? A paper, a book, a menu, a blog??? Think back all those years ago when you learned to read. First came the alphabet, then words, followed by short sentences and now look where that foundational work has taken you. You are using skills today that you struggled so hard to develop so many years ago and has opened so many doors for you. When you started, you had no idea where it would take you but aren't you glad you did? So what are you working on today that will revolutionize your life years from now?

The Bible is a big book filled with enigmatic sayings in places pulled from a different time period and a different culture but what can be learned from it is like hidden treasure. It will take time, effort, some good tools, a little help from the right people, frustration, failure and maybe even some pain, but what you get out of it will positively impact you (and others) for the rest of your life.

So consider this little blog entry as your "wake up" alarm to get going on the thing you always planned on doing some day- Getting to know God through his word, being transformed by His truth, and living the life you've always wanted.

What is the number one reason you don't get in the word and what keeps you at it?

What say you?

Our last post was about Rebellion and the struggle we have in submitting to authority. (By the way, share your thoughts/insights/questions in the comments area) On Sunday one of the issues we saw in those rebellion of the infiltrators in the church was the cause of their rebellion. They chose the wrong source for Truth.

I have one of those smart phones that has a bunch of useless and useful "apps". There are things I've put on there just in case but I thought I'd never use. For example I have a level with a digital bubble for determining whether or not something is plumb or level. The problem is that to use it you have to calibrate it. That means that I have to find something I know is level or plumb, set it on or next to the object and hit a button to set it. The problem is, without a level how do I know it's level? And once I set it, it reads level based on how I calibrated it. If I set it wrong, everything I gauge with it will be wrong. That's what these people did wrong- they set their gauge on something unreliable; something they wanted to be true. They based their actions on their dreams and not on reality and truth- God and His word.

The question for today is, what is the basis for determining what is true/right? Is it popular opinion? "That many people can't be wrong!" (remember the lemmings!) Is it how you feel for the moment? "If it feels good do it!" What is you basis of truth? What is your compass in life? You had better be sure because someone is following you and you don't want to be like a car I saw a few years ago with a bumper sticker that said "Don't follow me, I'm lost".

Is the word of God your compass? Then how well trained are you to use it? How does the scripture determine in your life, how to live?


What say you?

Submitting to the Authority of God

Where am I in the Passage?
Today, in our study of Jude 8-16, we noted four marks of those who have crept into the Church unnoticed with a dangerous doctrine. The first of the marks was their Rebellion against authority.

I believe that how one views authority is a pretty good indicator of the condition of their heart. Please read Romans 13:1-7 and see what Paul teaches about Authority. Click here for a link to the passage.

Here is a suggested Outline for this passage:
1. The Source of all authority is God (1)

2. The result of resisting authority is resisting God (2)

3. The purpose of authority is for the good of people (3,4)

- The Law keepers only bring fear to those who break it.

4. The result of obeying those in authority is avoiding God’s wrath and a guilty conscience. 5

5. The purpose of paying taxes is to support God’s purposes in this world (6,7)

Let’s consider the following thoughts;

1. Does God put into authority those who work against God’s plan?

2. How should we respond to unjust rulers?

3. How does the phrase “if you don’t respect the man, at least respect the Office” fit with this passage? Is this what God commands?

4. How do we implement this in our lives? Give specific circumstances.

5. Can you think of any examples of those in the Bible that put this truth into action?

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What Say You?

If you are having any troubles email me at mcgrathda@comcast.net

All Hands On Deck!

I'm not exactly sure what the meaning is of the title of this post but I've heard it in the movies when something bad is about to happen- it's the sounding of a warning and a call to prepare for it.

We started a series on Jude yesterday and found that Jude was very concerned about people creeping into the Church with a false teaching that distorts the grace of God and whose doom is sure.

Just as an experiment I typed "bad theology" in google search and then selected "videos". It wasn't but just a few seconds and I was listening to a man teach that according to Revelation 3:20 Jesus is standing at the door of your heart pleading to come in to save you. Friends, that's not true. The context for Revelation 3:20 is fellowship. This is being addressed to a Church not the lost. Now I assume his intent was not to deceive but he was wrong. He was trying to support a theological statement based on a wrong interpretation of scripture.

I once heard that theology is like jello, if you wiggle it in one area it starts wiggling all over. What's the point? Be very sober as you open up the word of God. Let the Spirit of God lead you and be certain that your understanding of the text is the correct one. And when you are, live it out with all the passion, excitement and fervor you can muster.

What say you?

Trial Run

Last night my wonderful bride cooked up a practice run for next weeks Thanksgiving dinner. Now she's been doing this for a good 20 years but she went ahead and did it anyway. It was fantastic and it got me to thinking about Thanksgiving, the response to God's goodness. If Melany's been cooking up fantastic Thanksgiving meals for 20 years but still thinks she needs the practice perhaps we who have been following Christ for a long period of time will not be offended if I challenge you to join me on a little experiment today (or whatever day your reading this) and keep track of all the things that you are thankful for in a day. Identify the things that God brings to your attention and give thanks and write it down. I think if you'll do this you will have a Thanksgiving like you've never had before.

So I ask....Whose with me?

Oh, and please don't be shy. I encourage you to post your responses or what your thankful for today. To do so, just click on "comments" and post away!
Let's get going!


What say you?

Christmas Lights

It's Wednesday! Over the Hump day we used to call it. Just a few short days until the weekend. We have begun an initiative called "Christmas Lights" for the purpose of leveraging the Christmas season to connect with friends, neighbors, coworkers and family members in hopes of presenting the love of Christ to them. We have challenged people to begin asking God to direct them to the person or persons we ought to engage for the gospel's sake and to write the persons name on a piece of paper and put it in an ornament on the Church Christmas tree. Each time they connect with this person (shine their light) we ask that they put a light bulb on the tree. My hope and prayer is that, working together, we will see people take steps towards the truth in response to God working through us. Just by sending a card, giving a gift, taking someone out to lunch or having a cup of coffee we trust that God will provide, through our intentional relationship building, an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel.

So, what are you doing for Christmas?

Gee, Thanks

It's Tuesday and while I have been planning for this coming Sunday for a while, today I jump in with both feet. This coming Sunday is our Thanksgiving Sunday and the text is 1 Thessalonians 5:18. ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. This is yet another one of those texts that challenge me in a big way. I would say that I'm a thankful person in that I consistently identify things for which I am grateful but this verse says that's not enough. "Give thanks in all circumstances", like when you get a nail in your tire when your on vacation, or when you stubb your toe in the middle of the night trying to discover what that noise was. These are times when thanksgiving doesn't come natural. Why do you think God wants us to be thankful for things we are not naturally thankful for?

What say you?