Take Time to Give Thanks

by Nate Shurden • November 27, 2013

Regardless of the kind of year you’ve had, Scripture teaches us to see all circumstances—good and bad—as an opportunity to give thanks (I Thessalonians 5:18). That’s easier said than done, however. How are we to spot these good and perfect gifts that have come down to us from the Father of Lights (James 1:16-18)?

What are you doing to ready your heart for Thanksgiving? Regardless of the kind of year you’ve had, Scripture teaches us to see all circumstances—good and bad—as an opportunity to give thanks (I Thessalonians 5:18). That’s easier said than done, however. How are we to spot these good and perfect gifts that have come down to us from the Father of Lights (James 1:16-18)? 

Below are three simple instructions for preparing your heart to give thanks this Thanksgiving:

The Path of Service -- Part One

By James Boice

The Path of Service
John 13:13-17
Theme: Foot-washing.
This week’s lessons teach us how to encourage one another and share each other’s burdens.
 
Lesson

Following the Lord Jesus Christ is an individual matter, but it is not individualistic. Let me explain. When we say that discipleship is an individual matter, we are saying that it is something the individual must do. No one can follow Jesus for you. Your husband cannot be your proxy. Your children cannot read the Bible for you, pray for you, obey the Lord for you. You must do these things for yourself, and if you do not do them, you are no true disciple. Individualism is something different.

Thanksgiving is Loud

by Joe Thorn • November 26, 2013

As we all head into this Thanksgiving holiday, let us take time to reflect on all the Lord has given us in Christ. May we savor every blessing in this life, and those we wait for in the life to come, and let our thanksgiving be loud.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving,and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100)

The Path of Obedience -- Part Five

By James Boice

The Path of Obedience
Luke 6:46-49
Theme: Profession and practice.
This week’s lessons teach us how to both study and live God’s Word.

Lesson

Suppose we do pursue regular, personal Bible study and prayer? Suppose we do earnestly seek to know the mind of our Savior and obediently follow where he leads? What do we find then? Some would say that we discover a dull monotony of life or at best a list of rules to follow duly, but those who have actually followed Christ find something different. They find freedom from self which is an amazing form of liberty.

The Path of Obedience -- Part Four

By James Boice

The Path of Obedience
Luke 6:46-49
Theme: Profession and practice.
This week’s lessons teach us how to both study and live God’s Word.

Lesson

We are focusing on how to do systematic study of the Bible, and another aspect is the study of key words. Begin by looking at other passages in the same book in which the word occurs. You can find these by your own reading or by using a concordance in which verses containing a given word are listed. Simple concordances are in the back of many Bibles.

The Mercy-Heart of God

by Joseph Randall • November 23, 2013

God's mercy is free to you only because it was withheld from Him Who needed no mercy – the sinless, perfect, glorious, beautiful Son of God. On the cross, Jesus was shown no mercy by His Father so that you could have all mercy.

There was a period in my life when I had convinced myself that I had committed the unpardonable sin. I was sure that I would spend eternity in hell. I felt that there was absolutely no hope for me – it was a very dark time and one from which God graciously rescued me. Maybe you've had a similar experience. What helped me through that time was being able to see God's merciful heart revealed throughout the pages of Scripture.

The Path of Obedience -- Part Three

By James Boice

The Path of Obedience
Luke 6:46-49
Theme: Profession and practice.
This week’s lessons teach us how to both study and live God’s Word.

Lesson

If you have been called by Christ and therefore sincerely want to hear his voice as he speaks to you through the Bible, you should do the following: First, you should study the Bible daily (Acts 17:11). We can study the Bible more than once each day, of course, and there may be some days when legitimate concerns consume the time we would normally spend studying. But we should discipline our lives to include a normal, daily period of Bible study, just as we would discipline ourselves to have regular periods for sleep, brushing our teeth, meals, and so on.

A Subtle Enslavement

by Nick Kennicott • November 21, 2013

It has not been uncommon, when disagreements among Christians arise, to hear someone accuse someone else of legalism. Of course, no one thinks that they’re a legalist; and, when the charge of legalism is leveled it is rarely accurate. However, legalism is a significant problem to be identified, avoided, and repented of when it is a reality in our lives. So what is legalism? And why is it so destructive?

It has not been uncommon, when disagreements among Christians arise, to hear someone accuse someone else of legalism. Of course, no one thinks that they’re a legalist; and, when the charge of legalism is leveled it is rarely accurate. However, legalism is a significant problem to be identified, avoided, and repented of when it is a reality in our lives. So what is legalism? And why is it so destructive?

The Path of Obedience -- Part Two

By James Boice

The Path of Obedience
Luke 6:46-49
Theme: Profession and practice.
This week’s lessons teach us how to both study and live God’s Word.

Lesson

Several years ago, when I was in northern California, I turned on the radio and heard part of an unusual religious program. It was called "Have You Had a Spiritual Experience?" and was conducted like a call-in talk show. A phone number was given, and listeners were invited to describe their "spiritual experience" over the air.

The Path of Obedience -- Part One

By James Boice

The Path of Obedience
Luke 6:46-49
Theme: Profession and practice.
This week’s lessons teach us how to both study and live God’s Word.

Lesson

Toward the end of Luke's version of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about obedience. He had been followed by people who made verbal profession of discipleship. They called him "Lord," which meant that they were calling him their master and were putting themselves forward as his servants. But they were disregarding his teaching. Jesus showed the impossibility of this intrinsic contradiction by asking pointedly: "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (v. 46). In other words, Jesus cannot be our Lord without obedience; and if he is not our Lord, we do not belong to him. We are like the man whose house would be swept away by a flood.

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PLACE FOR TRUTH

What David Needed Most

Reformation 21

“He fell today; I may fall tomorrow.”