Building my life on Gods Word Part 4 (Mind)

We kicked off our NEW series this past Sunday "40 Days in the Word." You can listen to the podcast at http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html or you can download it from iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wyandotte-family-church/id478735158We talked about using our five senses to build our lives on the Bible. We spent the morning going over “hearing God’s Word or receiving it with our ears.” 

The previous 2 BLOGS were about receiving God's word through our “Sight, Hands & Mouth” TODAY lets take a look at receiving Gods word with our mind.

The fourth way to build my life on the Bible is I review and remember with my mind.

I review the Word of God and I remember the Word of God with my mind.

The Bible says this in James 1:25 “The man who looks intently [that’s reading] into the perfect law and continues to do this, [that’s reviewing] not forgetting what he’s heard… [that’s remembering] he will be blessed in what he does.”

If you’re going to be blessed in what you do you’ve got to learn how to review and remember with your mind. 

Review – you continually do this, you’re pondering, you’re thinking about it over and over and you’re remembering, not forgetting.

If you’re serious about being spiritually strong and mature, you don’t want to be a spiritual baby any more.  You don’t want to be a spiritual wimp.  You don’t want to still be on the bottle ten years from now and dependent on others feeding you.  If You want to be a godly man, you want to be a godly woman.  If You want to be spiritually and emotionally strong.  The single greatest habit you can develop is the habit of memorizing Scripture.  By hiding the Word in your heart.  By putting it in your mind.

Why?  Because when you need the Bible, it’s never around.  When you’re tempted you don’t have a Bible open or by your side. Even if you have the YOUVERSION app on your phone or tablet, it probably won’t get open quick enough.  When you’re talking to others about Jesus and sharing your faith, when you’re under stress, when you need comfort, when you have a crisis there’s often not a Bible open. However, if you have it in your mind, you can remember it, review it, pray it and speak it right then.

What if you say,” But I have a terrible memory.  I can’t remember anything.”  The reality (which I hate by the way) is that we often remember what’s important to us and what we work hard for.  We remember the phone numbers that are important to us.  We remember the dates that are important to us.  Somebody says, “I can’t remember anything!”  But you can quote me songs from the 1970s, 1980’s or 1990’s.  Or you know a baseball statistics on your favorite player.  Or you know stock quotes. We often remember what’s important.

Memory is a skill that you can get good at.  We’re going to teach you some simple ways to improve your memory during the 40 Days in the Word Home Groups.  Memory is like a muscle and you can actually get better at it.  You may have a terrible memory but you can improve your memory.  Actually memorizing Scripture will cause your brain to have a stronger memory in other areas.  Study after study has shown this.  That if you will learn to memorize Scripture it actually develops your memory.  You’ll have a better memory in other areas too.

During 40 Days in the Word we’re going to memorize one simple verse a week on the weekends together so that you know these.  Because when you need them then God can call them to mind. 

You can’t review it unless you remember it.  In other words, if I get in bed at night I can think about it because I’ve remembered that verse.  If I’m driving to an appointment I can think about it because I remember that verse.  But if I haven’t memorized any verse then I can’t remember and review it.

In the Bible there’s a word for what we’re talking about here.  The skill of remembering and reviewing is called “meditation.”  That’s all mediation is.  Meditation is simply remembering and reviewing the Scripture in your mind.  That’s all it means.

This word is so misunderstood.  Many people don’t understand meditation.  They’re scared of it.  Like it’s some New Age thing.  No.  No!  Even some well-meaning Christians have said we shouldn’t meditate.  They’re talking about a time when you sit in a lotus position and put your mind in neutral and contemplate the lint in your navel and go ommm.  That’s not going to get you where you want to go.  But if you learn to remember and review the Bible then you can do it anywhere.

Why this is so important? 

Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Law [that’s the Bible – God’s law, God’s Word] depart from your mouth;[that means talk about it all the time] meditate on it [how often?]  day and night, [circle the word “meditate.”  God tells you, God commands you to mediate on the Bible day and night, in other words when you’re eating, when you’re sleeping, when you’re drinking, when you’re playing, when you’re running...] so that you will be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be [underline these] prosperous and successful.”

The only promise of prosperity and success in the Bible is this verse.  And God says if you do what I tell you to do in this verse you will be prosperous.  You will be successful.

I didn’t say that!  God said it.  You will be prosperous and successful. And what does he say?  If you meditate on my Word day and night.  In other words you remember it and you review it.  If you remember it and review it, you will be successful in all you do.

This is so important.  In our home groups we are going to teach you the six ways to meditate on Scripture.  So you’re going to want to be in a home group to get that.  Because that’s the key to being prosperous and successful – meditating on the Word of God so then you can do it, so you think about it constantly.

This blog was adapted from Rick Warren’s thoughts from the 40 Days in the Word Campaign

Building my life on God's Word part 3 (Hands & Mouth)

We kicked off our NEW series this past Sunday "40 Days in the Word." You can listen to the podcast at http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html or you can download it from iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wyandotte-family-church/id478735158

We talked about using our five senses to build our lives on the Bible. We spent the morning going over “hearing God’s Word or receiving it with our ears.” Yesterday's BLOG was about the 2^nd sense “Sight.” TODAY lets take a look at a few more senses.

I research Gods Word with my hands and my mouth.

Let me explain.  I research the Word of God with my hands and my mouth.  This is Bible study.  Researching is Bible study. 

Is there a difference between Bible reading and Bible study?  Yes.  How do you know if you are studying the Bible? It becomes study when you have a pen or pencil and you’re writing it down.

In fact, there are two components of study: writing it down and talking about it with somebody else.  That turns reading into study.  When I write something down and I talk about it with somebody else, now I am studying the Scripture. Now I am doing more than reading and I am meditating on it. I am being intentional. 

 

That’s why we believe in connection groups.  Why we over 15 different connection groups here at Wyandotte Family.  Because the way you study the Bible best is actually in a group.  You listen and you write and you read and you talk.  You use your hands and you use your mouth to study the Word of God.  I write down what I learn, I talk about what I learn.

In our home group studies during 40 Days in the Word we are going to teach you how to do this. We are launching 7 NEW home based connection groups the week of January 19th. You can sign up at the welcome center on Sundays or on the back of your communication card.

 

In Acts 17 Luke talks about a group of people in a city called Berea.  Berea was a little city in Greece.  He says “The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, [Thessalonica was another city in Greece.  He said those Bereans were more open minded than those who lived in the city of Thessalonica.]  and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message.  They searched the Scriptures [circle that word  searched.  They searched the Scriptures.  That’s study.  Not just reading it] day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.”

These guys are searching the Scriptures.  They’re reading and not just reading, they’re studying, they’re writing it down.  They’re having a group discussion.  That’s what’s going on here.  These people are listening to Paul preach and then they’re going over and having a group discussion about it, which is what we do in our home groups. 

 

We forget around 90% of what we hear. But when we write it down and discuss it, we increase the chances of God's Word becoming a part of our lives. We increase the chances of integration and application. Once again that is why home based connection groups are so important. They provide community, potential for relationships and an environment for the Word of God to truly bring life change.

Building my life on the Bible Part 2 (eyes)

We kicked off our NEW series this past Sunday "40 Days in the Word." You can listen to the podcast at http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html or you can download it from iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wyandotte-family-church/id478735158

We talked about using our five senses to build our lives on the Bible. We spent the morning going over “hearing God’s Word or receiving it with our ears.” Let’s take a look at the 2^nd sense “Sight.”

The second way to build my life on the Bible is to read it with my eyes.

I receive it with my ears but I read it with my eyes.  I read the Bible.  You cannot grow without reading the Bible. It is like trying to grow stronger without exercising or working out. It is like trying to become healthier but not eating your fruits or veggies.

James 1:22-25 says this “Don’t merely listen to the Word, [in other words you ought to listen but don’t merely listen to the Word] and so deceive yourselves [because you’re going forget it] do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the Word [of God] but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror [notice this mirror analogy.  He says he looks at his face, his reflection in a mirror] and, after looking at himself he goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like! [That’s what happens a lot of times on Sunday.  You hear a message and by the time you get to the parking lot you’ve already forgotten it.  He looks in a mirror, looks at himself, but then he goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.]  But [here’s the opposite] the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, [the Bible sets us free] and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does.”

One of the main reasons we are doing the 40 Days in the Word is so we cultivate a spiritual hunger and disciple of reading God’s Word every single day. To take God’s Word from being Sunday morning only to a part of our daily lives. In other words, we want you to be blessed.  We want you to be blessed in every area of your life.  We want God’s blessing on your family, on your work, on your finances, on your health.  The Bible says if you will do these five things you will be blessed. 

So let’s go back and re-read James 1-22-25 and circle them.  We talked about the first one.  He said listen but here he says don’t merely listen.  He said “the man who looks intently.”  Circle “looks intently”.  That’s one of the ways you get blessed.  That’s reading the Bible. Taking and making time to look into the heart and will of God for your life. 

Then he says and “continues to do this.”  Circle “continues.”  That’s reviewing the Bible.

Then he says “not forgetting what he’s heard,” That’s remembering the Bible.  Circle that one.  Not forgetting, “but doing it…”  That’s responding to the Bible. “he will be blessed in what he does.”

As we build our lives on the Bible to this capacity, we will be blessed. We will experience a fruitfulness and strength like never before. Let’s break each one of those down.

First it says, the person who looks intently… What’s he talking about here?  He’s talking about reading the Bible.  But when I read it I don’t speed read it.  When I read the Bible I read it and I reflect on it.  I think about it.  I ponder it.  I look intently.  It says that the person who does this, it’s like looking in a mirror.  Many times the Bible is compared to a mirror in Scripture.  The Bible compares itself to a mirror. 

What’s the purpose of a mirror?  The purpose of a mirror is to evaluate ourselves.  The Bible helps us do that.  It’s the mirror of God’s Word that helps us evaluate ourselves.

Every one of you did it sometime today.  When you got up this morning, at some point most likely before you walked out the door, you paused and looked at a mirror to see how awesome you looked (or not so much lol).  Then you evaluated what needed to be changed before you walked out that door. You fixed those few hairs out of place, used dental floss to get that black thing out of your tooth or fixed your shirt collar.  Or you said I don’t have time to do that and put on a ball cap.   

And by the way, did you know that the first Queen Elizabeth, during Shakespeare time, that as she got older that she lost her beauty, she had all of the mirrors removed from Buckingham Palace.  Because she did not want to see the fact that she was growing older.

There are two ways to look in a mirror.  You can glance in mirror or you can gaze in a mirror. 

Glance in a mirror...  Remember Happy Days, the show Happy Days?  Remember Fonzi?  He’d walk past a mirror and he’d stopped and he’d go Hey!  He didn’t do anything because he was pure perfection.  He didn’t have to comb his hair or anything.  He would glance.

We don’t want to do that with this mirror.  We can’t just glance at the Word of God.  That’s a quick, rushed, Lord, I’ve got two minutes.  I’m going to look at it real quick and then leave.  No.  Glancing at the mirror of God’s Word isn’t going to help us change. 

We’ve got to gaze at it.  We’ve got to gaze intently.  We look at the details.  God wants us not to glance at his Word but to gaze at his Word.  To look intently.

During 40 Days in the Word were going to give you some Bible reading plans.  There are lots of good ones.  It doesn’t really matter.  Just find one that fits you, fits your style.  So you are systematically reading through portions of the Bible on a regular basis.  You’re not doing this dip and skip method where you go, Lord what do you want me to know?  And you put your finger down.  That one doesn’t give you good results.  We’ll talk about that in the home group studies.  But you want to have a Bible reading plan because I want to receive God’s Word with my ear and I want to read God’s Word with my eyes

The third way to build your life on the Bible is will be gone over in my blog tomorrow (Wed.).

 

PS. Sign up for one of our special 6 week groups or join a full 12 week semester home group. You can sign up by filling out a Communication Card and/or at the welcome center.

PSS. These blogs are adapted from Rick Warren from the 40 Days in the Word Campaign

Guardrails for sexual desires

Guardrails has truly been a challenging series!!! You can listen to Guardrails part 3 "Flee Baby Flee" or any previous messages on our website http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html or you can download it from iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wyandotte-family-church/id478735158

Guardrails are so important. They cause a smaller accident in order to prevent a devastating one. They are placed in safe zones to keep us out of the danger zones. Many people refuse or push back on the concept of guardrails because they feel like it is childish. They feel like they are silly to have because wherever guardrails are placed they seem extreme.

However, if we put guardrails to close to the edge of the cliff, we will always go over. Even though we tell ourselves we are strong enough and able to handle it, we know deep down we are not.

The beauty of guardrails is that our conscience is tripped when we bump into them. We stop and get back on the road before we go over the cliff. My prayer for you is that you never have to experience financial, relational, or sexual disaster.

So in the area of physical intimacy and sex, what guardrails have you set up in your life? What plan do you have? What pre-choice choice have you already established? When it comes to sex and physical intimacy, this is one of the most powerful, beautiful and destructive desire. If you listen to the podcast, we go over some guardrails that are good for married people and single people to have in their lives.

Remember, no one ever regrets having guardrails. However, people regret it after they have cheated on their spouse, destroyed their marriage, hurt their children, and ruined their reputation.

Will people think you are too extreme? Will people think you are too conservative? Probably! However, those same people will be the ones bashing you over the head when you have gone over the cliff. Trust God. Do what is best for future, your marriage and your health.


PS. If you have never seen or watched one of our mid-week motivators check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEd4HRAemP8&feature=c4-overview&list=UUE0eLY-ZTrbJ0xyM40gpsqA

Exposing the 2nd biggest Misquote from the Bible

This past Sunday we continued our NEW SERMON SERIES "YOU PICK" We had a fun fathers day dealing with famous misconceptions and misquotes from the Bible." If you missed the message you can listen to it at http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html or you can listen on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wyandotte-family-church/id478735158?mout=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4. This Sunday we will continue our series with part 4 "Is the world really ending?"

Before I deal with the 2nd biggest misquote in the Bible, "God only helps them who helps themselves," I wanted to answer a few questions I had asked on Sunday. The Bible does not say Adam and Eve ate an apple. It actually says in Genesis 3:6 that she ate the forbidden fruit. The Bible does not say Jonah was swallowed by a whale. It says in Jonah 1:17 that Jonah was swallowed by a "great fish." Finally, it doesn't say that there were 3 wise men that brought Jesus gifts at his birth. We get that from the 3 gifts that were brought to Jesus.

God only helps those who help themselves has been quoted by people all over the country and even by the White House Press Secretary...check this out!

When White House press secretary Jay Carney was giving the press conference Wednesday touting President Obama's jobs bill, he invoked a popular saying that he said comes from the Bible. President Obama had urged passage of a provision in his job bill by saying, “I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.” A reporter later asked Carney if Obama crossed the line by bringing God into the jobs debate. Carney’s response: “I believe that the phrase from the Bible is, ‘The Lord helps those who help themselves.' ”

So, is that an actual verse or phrase from the Bible? No it is not! If it's not from the Bible, then where did it come from? It actually is attributed to Benjamin Franklin. He wrote that in 1736 in his "Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac.

Yes there is a verse in the Bible that says, "If you don't work you don't eat." It's found in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13...¹⁰ Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” ¹¹ Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. ¹² We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. ¹³ As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
We are also challenged in Proverbs 6:6 to learn a lesson from the Ants and how hard they work. Proverbs 10:4 reminds us that those who are lazy will be poor. Proverbs 13:4 reminds us that those who work hard will prosper. Romans 12:11 commands us to never be lazy but to work hard for the Lord with enthusiasm.

So there is this theme in the Bible of working hard, giving your best and doing everything unto God as worship. However, it doesn't say that God only helps those who helps themselves. This statement seems to promote a self-reliance on one's own power rather than trusting wholly in God. There are plenty of verses that actually show us that our strength comes from complete dependence on Him alone. God delights in helping those who will give Him all of the glory, honor and praise.

Isaiah 40.29.29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Isaiah 41.10. 10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand Ephesians 3.7. By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. Ephesians 3.16. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Philippians 4:13— For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Ephesians 3:20— Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Psalm 68.35--God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! Ephesians 1:10—Be strong in the Lord and in HIS mighty power.

The misquote is popular in part because it is a reflection of cherished American values: individual liberty and self-reliance, says Sidnie White Crawford, a religious studies scholar at the University of Nebraska.

So there is this delicate balance. When we takes steps of faith and depend on God, He will be faithful and provide, bless, open doors etc. However, it wasn't our brilliance, strength or stamina that caused or created it. It was God's amazing grace and blessing on our lives that has given us the opportunity and rewards.

Can God move mountains in your life if you don't take a step...NO. However, when you do take a step don't think for one moment that you had the strength to move the mountain. May God always get the glory, honor and praise.

(For further study do some research on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a gift of rest to God's people. It's a reminder that the world revolves around Him and not us. It reminds us that there is only one God and we are not Him :)

How did the Bible form?

This past Sunday we continued our NEW SERMON SERIES "YOU PICK" For the first time in my life I preached without using the Bible as we answered the question, "Can you prove Jesus without the Bible?" If you missed the message you can listen to it at http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html or you can listen on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wyandotte-family-church/id478735158?mout=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4. This Sunday we will continue our series with part 3 "Misquotes and Misconceptions of the Bible."

Another question people have when it comes to the validity of the Bible is, "How can it be trusted?" "Wasn't it compiled but a group of men?" "Why did some books make the Bible and others didn't?" "What was the deciding factors and how do we know we have what God intended?"


The  Bible has a closed Canon. The definition of Canon comes from the Hebrew word Qaneh which means reed or stock (example: yard stick). It came to be a measuring reed (which was a form of measurement at the time) to be the standard of Scripture. There were many discussions on creating a finalized cannon and most books of the New Testament were embraced by the 3rd century.

In 400AD Jerome translated the Jewish Scriptures that were written in Greek into Latin. He had all of the same Scriptures from the Jewish Bible but also included a few extra books but noted that they were not on the same level of Scripture but informative. Some of these extra books were embraced by some and rejected by others.

By the 5th Century most New Testament books were widely embraced and accepted by Church Leadership. However, the Protestant Bible did not include the extra books.

Here is the 4 criteria they used for the Protestant Bible.

1. Inspiration & Authority— There had to be a sense of inspiration from God. Recognition of writings that were divinely written by the hand of God.
2. Authorship--Attributed to and based upon the preaching/teaching of the first-generation apostles (or their close companions).
3. Universal Acceptance & Use — Acknowledged by all major Christian communities in the ancient world (by the end of the 4th century) as well as accepted canon by Jewish authorities (for the Old Testament).
4. Consistent Message — Were the writings consistent with the other writings that have already been embraced as Scripture?

As they went through this test, they came up with the Canon of Scripture. For example, some wonder why the Protestant Bible doesn't include the Apocrypha? When the books were ran through the above test, there was always 1 or 2 that it couldn't pass. For example the concept of Purgatory, a limbo or in between place, between heaven and hell. This theology cannot be found in other writings in the Bible. Therefore it failed the Consistent Message test #4. It also didn't have universal acceptance and use so it failed #3. Some of the authorship of the Apocrypha was highly debated and wasn't agreed upon, so it never fully passed #2 as well.

The ones that passed through the test created what we have today as the Bible. 27 New Testament Books and 39 books in the Old Testament.

Hope this helps bring clarity :) Also here are some great resources to follow up with and continue to study...

#1—Eternity in their hearts by Don Richardson (can find on Amazon: Paperback & Kindle)

#2—The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (can find on Amazon: Paperback & Kindle)

#3—The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (can find on Amazon: Hardcover)

#4—Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (can find on Amazon: paperback)

#5—Basic Christianity by John Stott (can find on Amazon: paperback)

#6—The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren (can find on Amazon: Hardcover & Kindle)

Things you don't need to pray about!

This past Sunday we kicked off our NEW SERMON SERIES "YOU PICK" We dealt with the #1 voted question, "How do you know God is speaking?" We discussed 4 common ways God speaks to us!. If you missed the message you can listen to it at http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html or you can listen on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wyandotte-family-church/id478735158?mout=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4. This Sunday we will continue our series with part 2 "Prove Jesus without the Bible."

I think it's funny when I hear Christians talk about praying about certain things in their lives. They say they want to pray because they are not sure if they are supposed to do something and they want to make sure its what God really wants. I think if we could get to the root desire and get people to be honest, we say we are going to pray about it because we actually don't want to do it.

There are some things we don't even need to pray about. WHY? Because God's Word (The Bible) already tells us what God's will is. We already know what He wants us to do. We don't need to ask Him. If you are a parent, imagine writing a note for your children before you leave for work. The note has chores, and a few other items of clear direction on them. However, you return to find nothing on it done. When you question your children they say, "We didn't know, you didn't tell us.." What do you mean I didn't tell you, I wrote it down as simple and easy to follow as possible. But they reply, "But you didn't say anything about it. We prayed about it and felt like we needed to play video games instead.

That seems ridiculous but that is how we often treat God. He has told us in His word how He wants to us live and what He desires. We don't need to wonder, guess or hope. So here are some common things Christians pray about but they really shouldn't.

   #1--God, should I forgive that person?? He has already answered in Matthew 6:15
   #2--God, should I really give or tithe?? He has already answered in Malachi 3:10,
          Luke 11:42, 2 Corinthians 8:7
   #3--God, should I share my faith? He has already answered in Mark 16:15
   #4--God, should I truly help the poor, hurting and broken? He has already answered in
          Matthew 25:31-40, James 1:27
   #5--God, should I really go to church? Is it that important? God has already answered in
          Hebrews 10:25

Should we pray? YES! It's a very important and powerful spiritual discipline. However, when God's word shows us what to do, we are only stalling if we pray about it. :)