This week I have been confronted several times by the idea of the essentials of the Christian faith. It was brought up twice in different conversations with my fellow believers at work, they were discussed at my Wednesday night Bible study, and finally as I have started to preach at another church and possibly follow God if He leads and guides me to this exciting ministry opportunity, the thoughts about the essentials verses what can be disagreed upon was running through my mind.
First when I say essentials of my Christian faith I mean things or more importantly truths that are level one or most important truths that cannot be disagreed upon or else we have a problem. When I think of essentials I think of Biblical truths and foundations to my faith that I would not be willing to disagree with you on and still fellowship together. To say it metaphorically, these truths are hills that I would die on in defense of.
So as I have been thinking of the essentials I decided I would come up with a list of the truths or doctrines that I call essentials and then it would show me what I view as non-essentials so that I can understand what I can disagree on and fellowship still with that friend and brother in Jesus. So here is my list of essentials truths that I must defend at all cost.
Who God is
He has spoken (Bible)
The Fall/Original Sin
The incarnation/His birth
The Cross and the atoning death of Christ
The bodily resurrection
The nature of God and His sovereignty
The Trinity
Justification by Faith/Our conversion
Forgiveness/Reconciliation/Repentance
The Church
Sanctification/Holiness
Dignity of Human Life
The return of Jesus
If you would disagree with my list or want to add something let me know because I would love to talk this list over with you. I find all of these truths in the Bible and not to much else more that is clearly defined and can be clearly defended. Everything else not on this list I find to be non-essential, which is topics like election, worship, baptism, and End times stuff. What is your stand on the essentials and what is your position with the truths on my list?
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Quotable Friday- Discipleship
Here is a great quote that I found this week while I was reading for school. It is very telling and true about personal discipleship. It is also a good check to see if you are disciplining anyone and if your are doing it Biblical correct.
"We might say that the ministry of discipleship involves meeting people where they are and then helping them go where they must go."- Dr. Gary Parrett
"We might say that the ministry of discipleship involves meeting people where they are and then helping them go where they must go."- Dr. Gary Parrett
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Responding to the Gospel
So my readership has dropped drastically over the last few days because as my beloved pointed out, what I was blogging about was not very inspiring, spiritually strong, or even fun to read. So I'm going to shift gears. I wanted to focus tonight on some responses to the Faith that we need to have in our lives if we are truly in love with Jesus.
First, when I say the Faith with the definitive article in front of it I mean the gospel of Jesus. The gospel of Jesus, as I pray you all know, is the good news of Jesus death and resurrection to save and redeem us from our dead sinful state before God. The Faith is the belief in this good news and a new state of being that is faithful to living this good news out for others.
So here is a list of responses that I find in Scripture that we need to have to the faith. I hope to explore some of these over the next weeks and flesh some of the responsive truths out in more detail.
1)The Faith is to be believed and professed- Hebrews 4:14
2)We are to stand firm in, hold firmly to, remain true to, and keep the Faith- 1 Cor. 16:13, 2 Tim. 4:7, 1 Peter 5:9
3)We are to be grounded in and strengthened in the Faith- Col. 2:7
4) We are to be nourished on the words of the Faith- 1 Timothy 4:6
5) We are to become obedient to the Faith- Acts 6:7
6) We are to love others who are in the Faith- Gal.6:10
7) We are to fight the good fight and contend earnestly for the Faith- 1 Tim. 6:12
8) We are to hold to the deep truths of and be sound in the Faith- Titus 1:13
9) We are to preach the Faith- Gal.1:23
10) We are to teach the Faith and it's implications- 1 Tim. 4:6-11
11) We are minister until the whole church reaches unity in the Faith- Eph.4:13
12) Some wander from or are tempted to turn from the Faith- Acts 13:8
13) By their actions, some deny the Faith- 1 Tim. 5:8
14) Some, as far as the Faith goes, are rejected- 2 Tim. 3:8
15) Some turn away from, abandon or fall away from the Faith- Matt. 24:10-11
This list is very convicting on many different levels. When I think about the desire to be a little shepherd under the Big Shepherd in His church I see this list as important. When I think of this list as a father and husband, this list is very challenging. When I think of this list as son or employee, this list gives me the chills. When I think of this list as a member of God's church, I realize I have much work to do and ways to grow and actions to watch. My favorite response is #9. What is your favorite or most convicting? Lord willing, I would like to explore this list in some detail in the days and weeks ahead.
First, when I say the Faith with the definitive article in front of it I mean the gospel of Jesus. The gospel of Jesus, as I pray you all know, is the good news of Jesus death and resurrection to save and redeem us from our dead sinful state before God. The Faith is the belief in this good news and a new state of being that is faithful to living this good news out for others.
So here is a list of responses that I find in Scripture that we need to have to the faith. I hope to explore some of these over the next weeks and flesh some of the responsive truths out in more detail.
1)The Faith is to be believed and professed- Hebrews 4:14
2)We are to stand firm in, hold firmly to, remain true to, and keep the Faith- 1 Cor. 16:13, 2 Tim. 4:7, 1 Peter 5:9
3)We are to be grounded in and strengthened in the Faith- Col. 2:7
4) We are to be nourished on the words of the Faith- 1 Timothy 4:6
5) We are to become obedient to the Faith- Acts 6:7
6) We are to love others who are in the Faith- Gal.6:10
7) We are to fight the good fight and contend earnestly for the Faith- 1 Tim. 6:12
8) We are to hold to the deep truths of and be sound in the Faith- Titus 1:13
9) We are to preach the Faith- Gal.1:23
10) We are to teach the Faith and it's implications- 1 Tim. 4:6-11
11) We are minister until the whole church reaches unity in the Faith- Eph.4:13
12) Some wander from or are tempted to turn from the Faith- Acts 13:8
13) By their actions, some deny the Faith- 1 Tim. 5:8
14) Some, as far as the Faith goes, are rejected- 2 Tim. 3:8
15) Some turn away from, abandon or fall away from the Faith- Matt. 24:10-11
This list is very convicting on many different levels. When I think about the desire to be a little shepherd under the Big Shepherd in His church I see this list as important. When I think of this list as a father and husband, this list is very challenging. When I think of this list as son or employee, this list gives me the chills. When I think of this list as a member of God's church, I realize I have much work to do and ways to grow and actions to watch. My favorite response is #9. What is your favorite or most convicting? Lord willing, I would like to explore this list in some detail in the days and weeks ahead.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Bible Character Madness #3
I pray that not only is this fun as we discover and read about Bible characters but it also inspires others to learn more about Bible Characters because they can teach us many great lessons. Tonight we will look again at 6 more Bible figures.
#1-Jeremiah vs. Samuel
In this battle of Old Testament greats we have a Prophet of God who was preaching in Jerusalem as it was being conquered by Babylon, going against the first prophet of God in the united Kingdom who followed God's leading and anointed both King Saul and King David. Some interesting facts about both characters are, first that history tells us the Jeremiah was killed for being a prophet of God shortly after the fall of Jerusalem, and secondly my son was not named after Samuel from the Bible.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
#2- Esther vs. Aaron
First we have Esther, who was a Hebrew living in the Medo-Persian Empire after most of here people returned back to Israel and rebuilt the temple. She was the Hebrew as Queen who risked her life to save her people from massacre. Aaron is know as the big brother of Moses, who because Moses was shy, did all the talking with Pharaoh. Aaron was also the first Priest after the tabernacle was erected.
Esther 2:15
And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.
Exodus 4:27
The Lord said to Aaron, "go into the desert to meet Moses". So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.
Winner: Esther
#3- Peter vs. Jarius
Here we have the most well know Apostle of Jesus, the rock of the church, and the guy who put his foot in his mouth a lot. Jarius is an interesting character in the Bible. We do not know much about him other than he was a synagogue ruler, who's daughter dies. He goes to Jesus for help and Jesus challenges his belief and faith and then raises the daughter from the dead.
Mark 1:17
"Come follow me" Jesus said, (to Peter) "and I will make you fishers of men".
Luke 8:50
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jarius, "Don't be afraid; just believe and she will be healed".
Winner: Peter
*My son is actually named after my favorite book character*
#1-Jeremiah vs. Samuel
In this battle of Old Testament greats we have a Prophet of God who was preaching in Jerusalem as it was being conquered by Babylon, going against the first prophet of God in the united Kingdom who followed God's leading and anointed both King Saul and King David. Some interesting facts about both characters are, first that history tells us the Jeremiah was killed for being a prophet of God shortly after the fall of Jerusalem, and secondly my son was not named after Samuel from the Bible.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I
formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
1 Samuel 3:19
The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.
Winner:Samuel
#2- Esther vs. Aaron
First we have Esther, who was a Hebrew living in the Medo-Persian Empire after most of here people returned back to Israel and rebuilt the temple. She was the Hebrew as Queen who risked her life to save her people from massacre. Aaron is know as the big brother of Moses, who because Moses was shy, did all the talking with Pharaoh. Aaron was also the first Priest after the tabernacle was erected.
Esther 2:15
And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.
Exodus 4:27
The Lord said to Aaron, "go into the desert to meet Moses". So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.
Winner: Esther
#3- Peter vs. Jarius
Here we have the most well know Apostle of Jesus, the rock of the church, and the guy who put his foot in his mouth a lot. Jarius is an interesting character in the Bible. We do not know much about him other than he was a synagogue ruler, who's daughter dies. He goes to Jesus for help and Jesus challenges his belief and faith and then raises the daughter from the dead.
Mark 1:17
"Come follow me" Jesus said, (to Peter) "and I will make you fishers of men".
Luke 8:50
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jarius, "Don't be afraid; just believe and she will be healed".
Winner: Peter
*My son is actually named after my favorite book character*
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Bible Character Madness #2
First, Thank you all for your prayers today as my family had the privilege and excitement of meeting a new faith family. It was amazing and we are excited to see what the Lord is going to do in and through us. Please keep us in your prayers as we may have some big decisions to make in the coming weeks. As you all pray, I will keep everyone posted.
Now on to the next set of Bible Character madness match ups. Today will explore 6 more Bible characters and only 3 will move on into the next round.
Match-up #1
Nehemiah vs. Habakkuk
So this is a fun match-up. We have first the man of God who was the cup bearer to King Artaxerxes. God sends him on a mission to lead the effort in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after the 70 year exile was over. The other guy is a prophet of God who preached to the southern kingdom of Judah in the final years before the exile. He has a book named after him, which was the message that he shared with the people of Judah. His message is a written version of his discussion with God and questions about what God is doing.
Nehemiah 1:11
"O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant (Nehemiah) and to the prayer of this your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man."
Habakkuk 1:1
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Winner: Nehemiah
Match-up #2
James, the Apostle vs. Mary Magdalene
Here we have an apostle of Jesus. One of the 3 closest men on earth to our Savior, who was close to Jesus on many big occasions like the transfiguration and Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Then we have Mary who Jesus cast demons out of and turned her sinful life around into a servant of God who was one of the women to show up at the tomb on Easter morning.
Luke 9:28
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
Luke 8:2
and also some women who had been cured of some evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.
Winner: James
Match-up #3
John Mark vs. Zacchaeus
Finally we have John Mark who was a young man during Jesus ministry and got to see many of the final hours of Jesus first hand in Jerusalem. he is the younger cousin to Barnabas and later joined his cousin on missionary work in Cyprus. he might have spent some of Paul's final days with him in Rome. Zacchaeus was a cheating tax collector who Jesus changed and converted and after meeting Jesus gave half of his money to the poor and paid everyone back four fold that he wronged.
2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke us with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
Luke 19:5
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
Winner: Zacchaeus
*Tonight voting was done by my beautiful bride*
Now on to the next set of Bible Character madness match ups. Today will explore 6 more Bible characters and only 3 will move on into the next round.
Match-up #1
Nehemiah vs. Habakkuk
So this is a fun match-up. We have first the man of God who was the cup bearer to King Artaxerxes. God sends him on a mission to lead the effort in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after the 70 year exile was over. The other guy is a prophet of God who preached to the southern kingdom of Judah in the final years before the exile. He has a book named after him, which was the message that he shared with the people of Judah. His message is a written version of his discussion with God and questions about what God is doing.
Nehemiah 1:11
"O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant (Nehemiah) and to the prayer of this your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man."
Habakkuk 1:1
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Winner: Nehemiah
Match-up #2
James, the Apostle vs. Mary Magdalene
Here we have an apostle of Jesus. One of the 3 closest men on earth to our Savior, who was close to Jesus on many big occasions like the transfiguration and Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Then we have Mary who Jesus cast demons out of and turned her sinful life around into a servant of God who was one of the women to show up at the tomb on Easter morning.
Luke 9:28
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
Luke 8:2
and also some women who had been cured of some evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.
Winner: James
Match-up #3
John Mark vs. Zacchaeus
Finally we have John Mark who was a young man during Jesus ministry and got to see many of the final hours of Jesus first hand in Jerusalem. he is the younger cousin to Barnabas and later joined his cousin on missionary work in Cyprus. he might have spent some of Paul's final days with him in Rome. Zacchaeus was a cheating tax collector who Jesus changed and converted and after meeting Jesus gave half of his money to the poor and paid everyone back four fold that he wronged.
2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke us with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
Luke 19:5
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
Winner: Zacchaeus
*Tonight voting was done by my beautiful bride*
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