JANUARY 10, 2023
THE ROAD LESS STUPID
Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs
INTRODUCTION
NUMBERS 6:22-27
1The proverbs of Solomon son of David,
king of Israel:
2for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4for giving prudence to those who are simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—
6for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
LIFE APPLICATION
1.
2.
3.
NOTES
JANUARY 08, 2023
SPIRITUAL GROWTH WEEKEND
A Year of Growing Closer to God
CONTEXT
NUMBERS 6:22-27
22The LORD said to Moses,
23“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites.Say to them:
24“‘“The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
27“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
NOTES
DECEMBER 18, 2022
Week 4
LOVE
CONTEXT
ISAIAH 54:10
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
ISAIAH 66:13
As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.
NOTES
DECEMBER 11, 2022
Week 3
JOY
CONTEXT
ISAIAH 12:1-6
1 In that day you will say: “I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
1 We all
2 God
But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” LUKE 2:10
3 What we think
4 True joy is found
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”JOHN 15:11
DECEMBER 04, 2022
Week 2
PEACE
CONTEXT
ISAIAH 11:1-6
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of theLord—3 and he will delight in the fear of theLord.He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
NOTES
NOVEMBER 27, 2022
Week 1
HOPE
CONTEXT
ISAIAH 9:2
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land
of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
NOTES
NOVEMBER 20, 2022
BEING YOUR BEST WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST
CONTEXT
2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-9
1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial,their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier madea beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you – see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich
HOW DO YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN?
NOTES
NOVEMBER 13, 2022
BRING YOUR BEST WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST
CONTEXT
1 THESSALONIANS 3:7-9
7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith.
8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.
9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.
HOW DO YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN?
NOTES
OCTOBER 30, 2022
ROMANS 16
1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people,including me.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.
Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.
Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.
Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.
15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ send greetings.
17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.
Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings [24]
25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith –27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
1 Call to
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe …receive her in the Lord in away worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need…”(vv. 1-2)
2 Call to
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way … I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”(vv. 17-19)
3 Call to
“Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel,the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ … but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith.”(vv. 25-26)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• F.F. Burton. The Pauline Circle. Wipf and Stock. 2006.
• James D.G. Dunn. Word Biblical Commentary (WBC). 1988.
• Darrell W. Johnson. Discipleship On the Edge: An Expository Journey Through the Book of Revelation (p. 4). Canadian Church Leaders Network. Kindle Edition.
• Ernst Kasemann. Commentary on Romans. 1994.
• Timothy Keller. Romans 8-16 For You. The Good Book Company. 2015.
• Timothy Keller. The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness. 10Publishing. 2012.
• C.S. Lewis. Mere Christianity. 2015.
• Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica. Jesus Is Lord, Caesar Is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies. IVP. 2013.
• Douglas Moo. The Letter to the Romans: New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT). 2018.
• Thomas R. Schreiner. Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament).1998.
• John Stott. The Bible Speaks Today (BST). 2001.
• Frank Thielman. Romans (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament).2018.
• N.T. Wright. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary: Romans. 2015
OCTOBER 30, 2022
THE COUNTER-INTUITIVE GUIDE TO
FINDING REAL ENDURANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT
CONTEXT
ROMANS 15:1-9a
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good,to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written:“The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
NOTES