Commitment to Gospel Conversation

 

"We proclaim the gospel to the world so that they may be saved."

The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 is absolutely astounding. An angel told him where to go (v. 26), the Spirit told him who to talk to (v. 29), and the Ethiopian man asked him to teach the Bible to him (v. 31). Philip proclaimed the gospel of Jesus to him (v. 35) and the man believed and was baptized (v. 38). After that, the Spirit raptured Philip to a city dozens of miles away.

Well, that was easy!

A New Revelation Chart (Messages to the Seven Churches)

I've created a new chart on Revelation! But not like that. This chart doesn't detail the events of the end times, but rather encapsulates Jesus' messages to the seven churches found in chapters 2-3.

Recently, I've desired to study these seven churches more and commit Jesus' messages to them to memory. There are some very unique statements in these two chapters that often get ignored. When I searched for charts like this one, I found a few online, but I wanted to make one that was a little better. So please feel free to download the chart and use it however you'd like. If you click on the image below, you will be taken to the Drive page where it can be downloaded.

Participating in Christ's Body

 

"We love each other and cherish the fellowship of God's people."

"Fellowship" is the common translation of the Greek word koinonia (it's where we get the name "Koin" for our fellowship hall). Out of the 19 times the word appears in the New Testament, the NASB translates the word as "fellowship" twelve times. Twice it's rendered as "contribution," twice as "participation," and thrice as "sharing." As we dwell on this, we can first understand--quite simply--that fellowship is more than "hanging out." It's deeper than simply existing in the same space with others for a select amount of time.

So, drawing on these translations, perhaps an angle we could take at this is that "fellowship" is most properly understood as "participating by contributing and sharing."

Scripture's Sufficiency

 

"We study the Bible because it is the whole counsel of God."

This past Sunday, my morning class discussed the sufficiency of Scripture. Wayne Grudem offers this helpful definition of what sufficiency really means:

"The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God He intended His people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting Him perfectly, and for obeying Him perfectly.”

We and They

"We proclaim the gospel to the world so that they may be saved."

When you pay attention to the pronouns in this core value, it reveals a simple, yet profound reality about our responsibility.

Living for Heaven

 

"We serve God wherever we are, knowing He has put us there."

There cannot be a better service than service to the Lord. Though it's true that there are many ways to work and volunteer, none of those ways are best if they are done apart from intentional, devoted service to God. It's better to be a night janitor in service to Christ than a real estate mogul in service to self. Christians should be more desirous of serving in secret to earn a reward from the Father than to flaunt service before others for the praise or payment of men (Matthew 6:1-6).

We're Complete Together

 

"We love each other and cherish the fellowship of God's people."

We need each other like puzzle pieces need each other. As individuals, we are unique, intriguing, and beautiful in our own ways -- yet we are also quite clearly incomplete. None of us is a picture to himself; we must come together as parts of the greater design of God. Finding life in Christ's body means functioning as a body part, living, moving, and having our being in Him with each other.

Prayer's Place in Eternity

 

"We prioritize prayer in this life as we live for the next."

This life is the only time we have to pray. The Bible says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known," (1 Corinthians 13:12). Later it says, "We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is," (1 John 3:2). So, after this life -- whether we die and go to heaven or live until the Lord descends to gather us to Himself -- our relationship with prayer will be different. We will no longer be walking by faith, but rather by sight. We will no longer be petitioning the God we cannot see, but rather calling on the One right before us (cf. Revelation 6:9-11).

Bible Study Is Both/And

 

"We study the Bible because it is the whole counsel of God."

Is exercise an individual effort or a group effort?

This question cannot be answered with a strict either-or, of course. There are some people who prefer to exercise alone, and there are some who prefer to exercise in a group. Most people prefer some sort of a mix, as opportunities to work-out within a community of people committed to fitness provides for some encouragement and accountability.

Disappointment as Opportunity

"We live for God wherever we are, knowing He has put us there."

How do you respond to disappointment?

We know well the saying that life is full of disappointments, and the longer we live, the truer it rings. As fallen humans with largely unreasonable expectations for ourselves and others, we bump into disappointment often. "Man makes his plans and the Lord laughs," someone has said, and I'm inclined to believe him. We don't know what is held in the next week, day, hour, or breath; yet, we must plan our way. When we arrive at our destination and discover that the grass isn't as green as we thought it would be, our hopes can be quickly dashed. We're fickle, and prone to despair.