Finished with Chapter One

Due to the Norco ladies retreat, I did not blog about the end of chapter one on Friday so I am today!

Page 26 instructs us how to proceed with studying systematic theology after we are done with this book. Grudem tells us that it basically involves gathering all the Scripture about an idea/doctrine and analyzing/summarizing them together. The use of a concordance to find all the passages will be necessary. The final step in that is to make some summary statements about the doctrine that are firmly supported by all the verses.

Point six on page 27 is one of my favorites. We will study systematic theology with rejoicing and praise. Here is my favorite quote, “It is a study of the living God and of the wonders of all his works in creation and redemption. We cannot study this subject as if our hearts and lives are uninvolved! We must love ALL that God is, ALL that he says, and ALL that he does.” Amen!

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen. Rom. 11: 33-36

Next Assignment: Chapter two pages 33 – 37 (point 4)

Week Two Summary and why it’s been two weeks…

Dear ladies that are reading Bible Doctrine with me,
I apologize for the length of time it has taken me to write the week two summary. For the past two weeks we have had out-of-town company. We have had some good times, but much of what we normally do has been set aside. Our guests have traveled back to their respective areas of the country and we are slowly getting back to our routines!

My take on pages 21-26:
This book, Bible Doctrine, is written to people who already believe the Bible to be Truth and who already believe that the God revealed in it is the Creator of the Universe.

We study theology so that we can obey the commandment given by Jesus to “teach all that He commanded us.” This, of course, includes teaching ourselves with the aid of the Holy Spirit and those He has gifted to teach. We also study because because it helps us to overcome wrong ideas about God (which are prolific in our culture), helps us to make better decisions as we desire to live lives that glorify God, and also because it makes us grow.

How will we proceed? We will proceed with a commitment to prayer. With the Psalmist we say, “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” We will proceed with humility. There is nothing more disturbing than a proud believer; one that uses the Word of God just to win an argument forgetting that while God’s Word is useful for correction, it must be delivered with the hope of good for the listener. We will proceed with our reasoning skills but will submit them to the Truth of God’s Word, knowing at times there will be opportunity to believe doctrines based on faith….like the Trinity and the Incarnation. We will also proceed with help from others…..each other, commentaries, our pastor etc.

Third Assignment: Finish chapter one. Read through all the questions.

Week One Reading Summary and Week 2 Assignment

What is systematic theology? A study that answers the question, “What does the Bible teach us today about any given topic?” The emphasis in this type of study will be on what God wants us to believe and know about particular doctrines as they are taught in the Bible at large, including both Old and New Testaments. The purpose of this type of study will be to strengthen the believer and make the Christian life richer.

The study will be systematic in that it has been carefully organized by Mr. Grudem to prevent imbalanced emphasis and wrong conclusions. Summaries of biblical teachings will be made that will use precise language to prevent misunderstands and false teachings.

It is important that as you study you remained committed to the authority of the Scripture and open to correcting any false ideas that you have embraced as a result of culture or false teaching. However, it must be the Scripture that convinces you that you are incorrect, not the writer of the text or the writer of any text for that matter.

A doctrine is what the Bible teaches us today about some particular topic. We will be studying major and minor doctrines.

Summary of pages 17 – 21 in Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem

Week Two Assignment: P. 21 beginning at section B – p. 26 stop at top of page just before subtopic 5.

Memory Verses: Matthew 28: 18-20

Today is the Beginning!!

Today is the beginning of a read together group of women who want to spend some time studying doctrine. Last night at our accountablility group I talked about why this is important. Often times when you speak of studying doctrine, you get a rather dull look from people. After all, doesn’t doctrine just divide Christians and make them “argue” about things when they should be loving and caring and just sharing the gospel? Well, maybe. The truth is that doctrine does cause Christians to “agree to disagree” and sometimes that is painful. However, they still should be loving and caring and sharing the gospel…absolutely. Another arguement is, “isn’t doctrine dry?” My answer to that is, “Well it could be at times, I suppose, but so are some of the foods I choose to eat because they are nutritious and not sweet and gooey like I really like!!”

So why study doctrine? Doctrine is the meat of what we as Christians believe. The fruit of studying doctrine will bring about strength in the Christian’s life. The timeless truths that are instilled in our hearts as we study doctrine will carry us when the difficult storms of life come. Storms that could rock our worlds if we did not know God according to His Word. We can cling to Truth when the earth beneath us is trembling and we can not focus.

My friends, this week’s assignment is pages 17-21. Stop on page 21 when you get to the subheading B. (Of course, you can read further if you want, but the idea is to keep the goal small and “doable” so that we continue in a steady pace and finish eventually!)

When you read you can comment here that you finished and if you want to write something about what you read, please feel free!

Excited to read with you!

If you do not have the book yet, you can read at google reader here.

Book Club Update

A few weeks ago I announced that I would be starting a book club. I love reading and I love to discuss what I am reading with other people. I have wanted to be a part of a reading club for years; however, there were several red flags to starting one right now. (I was in denial of that for a while but as the date approached, I realized that I was not going to be able to add it to my plate.) It was not going to be wise for me to facilitate another monthly meeting. In addition to that I found out that my husband’s leadership team is beginning some type of reading event as well so that will be an opportunity for reading too.

In the meantime I have morphed my own reading club into a blogging exercise. This blog was originally created to encourage the women that I meet with on a monthly basis for accountability. We are going to start a reading project inspired by the sermon series at FBC, Norco. The sermon series is based on Titus. Consistently we have been exhorted to think about the necessity of sound doctrine in our lives. Sound doctrine keeps us from making decisions based on our culture, our emotions, pressure from others, our own selfish flesh etc., but instead gives us the ability to live life and make decisions based on the safety and strength afforded by God’s Word.

With that in mind we are going to be reading Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem and responding to it on my blog. Our goal will be attainable which might make it look like a small goal but it will be definitely better than nothing! We will read 5 pages a week.

This reading exercise will start on February 19. On that day the pages for the next week will be assigned as a post for which anyone who is reading can comment on during that week. I will write at the end of the week and then will assign the pages for the next week! Thanks to all who commented at our last meeting that they were excited about doing this. I think it will be fun and challenging at points.

Meeting with Sisters

Last night I spent about 2 hours with sisters in Christ sharing life, sharing goals, being encouraged, and just enjoying them. I count myself as blessed, very blessed to have these women in my life. I need them. Their love and presence in my life reminds me that I need them every time we meet.

I need them to gently press me and encourage me to do the things that I know will put me in the path of God’s grace. They help me to think about my life in light of eternity rather than just for the moment. (Sometimes “the moment” can wrongly inform my view of what’s important.) They help me to plan do the things that I know are pleasing to God and good for my soul. They make me laugh, cry, and enjoy God’s goodness.

Thank-you Norco ladies.

And for those of you who have not yet joined our accountability meetings, plan to join us next time, which is February 4. I don’t think you will regret it!

Be sober-minded

This week I’ve been mulling over the admonition in 1 Peter 1:13. It says this, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

This verse was the topic of discussion last Sunday, then on Tuesday night I watched a great debate between an atheist and a Christian, and on Wednesday we discussed Sunday’s sermon in a group of 16 people….I might add one of my very favorite things to do.

For the most part I have been thinking about the admonition to be “sober-minded.” What does that mean? The opposite of sober is intoxicated, but the context of the verse is not dealing with alcohol intoxication. The context is concerning your thinking. What could I be intoxicated with that would prevent me from using my mind well? In a nutshell, me and my passions.

The gift I have been given in being able to believe God’s word is not for me and my comfort and my selfish ambitions. It’s for God’s glory and His service and that plays out in living for Him in an otherness ethic.

So to be sober-minded I should fill my mind with understanding of His ways. Some of the ways I do this is by reading…..reading some difficult and sound doctrine and really dealing with the meat of the word. I am ashamed to say that I have not read Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis. I have not read The Reason for God nor the book that it was written in a response to. There are times that I am not prepared to give a sound reason for why I think a particular way because I have not done my homework.

And the reason for a sound mind, one that is prepared to discuss the meat of the word, is not so I am be “intelligent” or even respected but so that I can serve. I can serve God by serving my brothers and sisters in Christ with love and compassion (as opposed to selfish motivation….you know a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” mentality) and I can serve those who don’t believe by lovingly and gently pointing to the cross as the way of peace of with God (as opposed to being haughty, embarrassed, or simply unconcerned). Though I might add, even when the convictions that come from God’s Word are said with love and with concern for the individual, they are not always welcomed by the listener.

Why does a sober mind promote this type of living? Because a sober mind works as a result of the principles of God’s word. I loved watching the demeanor of Douglas Wilson when Christopher Hitchens ridiculed his belief in an ancient text. He was not rattled at all. He answered with the quiet assurance of a man whose mind is sober.

I do not think that I live up to Scripture’s admonition because I am not exercising my mind enough and I want to improve. So……anyone want to start a “book club” with me? I am thinking..meet once a month to discuss a “book of the month.” I know everyone is busy….me too….but I think it will help me to actually read if I know I get to talk to someone about it!!!

Conversation to Consider

As usual I met with a great group of ladies last Thursday night for some great conversation about the book, Don’t Waste Your Life.

We are almost finished reading it and will only have one more discussion time…it has been so much better to discuss this book with others than to read it alone. (Though the first time that I read it alone I got alot out of it too!)

The chapter that we read was titled “Glorifying God 8 to 5” and he could have added “Monday – Friday” because he is actually talking about glorifying God at the work place.  I think a subtitle could be “Don’t Waste an Opportunity” because really our inability to live for Christ as opposed to ourselves is what gets in the way of being a wittness at work.

The following is a summary of what we talked about:

The majority of Christians will not be vocational ministers and/or missionaries.  They will work in the secular workplace.  So much of our witnessing will actually be people witnessing who we are, what makes us tick, how we care, and how we think about life….we set Christ on display or we make light of the gospel in how we LIVE each day. Do we blend in to the culture or do we stick out?   And if we stick out, is it because we are compassionate people of godly character or because we are loud-mouths who don’t live what we believe?

We make much of Christ at the workplace by trusting His promises at work.  We trust that He will help us to discern how to do our work to the best of our ability.  We trust that He gave us this job and therefore do not complain that we have a job and that we have to work.  We trust that the money that it provides is from Him and spend it on things that are honoring to Him, helpful to our families, helpful to others in need etc.

We make much of Christ at the workplace by being a person of Godly character.  We do not gossip about our co-workers.  We care about those that are hurting.  We are willing to overlook offense for the betterment of a situation.  We clean up after ourselves.  We show compassion, gentleness, knowledge of what we believe without being angry at those who can’t see things the way we do.  In other words we earn the right to speak the name of Jesus by first being an obedient follower of Jesus.

We make much of Christ at the workplace by being a great employee.  We apply the God-given talents that we have in order to do the best that we can.  We complete work in a manner that shows we have integrity.  We accept criticism, learn from it and then improve.  We do not lie to, cheat or steal from our employer; not in the little things and not in the big things.  Ultimately, it is the Lord Jesus Christ that we desire is honored in our work.

Even in the most difficult of work situations the Bible says…” ….they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” Titus 2

There are other points in the chapter but we ran out of time!  If you are interested, read chapter 8!

Thanks ladies for an invigorating, convicting conversation!

http://www.bondedtogether.wordpress.com

Don’t Waste Your Life inspired a rap song

I am not much of a rap fan. However, I am a fan of thinking about this life….all the ends and outs with the cross as a filter. Just about finished reading Don’t Waste Your Life with my accountability friends and ran across this video on youtube.  Decided to share because in some way it gives a good synopsis of all the ways that Christians can get side-tracked from the Christian life.  (Of course I am including me as the primary person here.) 

I am here to declare His excellencies in everything I do and say and in every attitude that I wear.  That should be the focus of my life……

“….a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness in to his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

http://www.bondedtogether.wordpress.com

Accountability

On September 3, my friends to whom I am accountable for spiritual disciplines, (and who were the inspiration for this blog) met again. As always the meeting was filled with laughter, a few tears, joy, serious conversations, contemplation about God’s work in our lives, goal-setting, and most of all encouragement.  I am amazed at how much these women press me to live what I profess to believe.  It’s not a “checklist” mentality but a “putting yourself in the path of His commands” mentality in order to live for Him.  And it’s not easy. 

It’s not easy for a couple of reasons.  I don’t like to set a goal and not meet it.  And if I don’t meet my goals, I don’t like to admit it, but if I don’t, then I excuse myself quietly and I don’t repent of unwise choices/attitudes/etc. AND THEN, it’s not easy because the “mechanics” of the goal could be met but not the spirit of the goal…..learning from God’s Word and being changed by Him. 

So accountability is difficult because it requires vulnerability, repentance, and true growth, but the benefits outweigh the difficulty.  I have been reminded of my frailty.  I have been checked on attitudes like self-pity, self-indulgence, discontentment, and “light-headed living.”  (“Light-headed living” is my term for not taking life seriously! 🙂  These things weigh me down and keep me from enjoying what God has richly blessed me with….HIMSELF!! 

So when these precious ladies gather with their smiles, their lives, their pain, their goals, they bless me and they bless each other.  Accountability is beautiful.  Conviction and repentance are the things of life!!!