Session 6

From here it's pretty easy to see the finish line. Ironically, a great view of it is from the front of your book. The completion record on page 5 outlines what you've accomplished, where you're headed and maybe where you need to focus.

This week you may be able to complete the entire section on scripture memory. If you quote all five verses word perfect and you've done that for seven days -- that's it. Remember, use a translation, not a paraphrase. They're usually more concise and therefore easier to memorize and they sound more authoritative.

Watermark uses NASB a lot, but most of our class is using NIV since it's an easier read.

You can also see there won't be any more layers added to your quiet time. We started with reading and marking. Then we learned how to have a conversation by incorporating prayer and being more purposeful in our time with the Lord. Now that you're using the Bible Reading Highlights Record, or a reasonable facsimile that's the complete quiet time. Do it 7 straight days for the course, the rest of your life to stay the course.

For next week, memorize "Assurance of Guidance," Proverbs 3:5-6.
Complete an Evangalism Prayer list.
Read and be ready to discuss "Guide to Conversational Prayer" (pp. 58-60)
There's no bible study, so take a moment to look at what you've accomplished and point to what you'd still like to accomplish in this class.

Session 5

Your books on page 42 have an illustration of a cycle that concisely presents our Christian walk. Now that you're working on 1 John 1:9 (The Christian Bar of Soap), you have the foundational pieces for this relationship. John 5:24 describes the creation of our relationship with God. John 16:24, the provision available through it. 1 Cor 10:13 describes how to keep the relationship in tact. However, perhaps the greatest blessing is the grace offered...

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. 1 John 1:9 (amp)

So for next week; review each of these verses in your translation. Use your Bible Reading Highlights Record to track your daily reading and marking. Also do the Bible study, "The Word" on pp. 50-54.

Session 4

A great line from the summary - Sin does not negate God's love or your relationship with Him, but it does break [interrupt] your fellowship with Him.

No new verses for Session 5, so keep working to get all three verses word perfect.

Break 1 Cor 10:13 into three sentences to help yourself practically (helps you memorize) and spiritually (three separate ideas emerge)

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Keep reading, marking and tracking with My Personal Reading Record. Complete/Read the section on "The Quiet Time" and "Quiet Time, Reading Plans and Bible Study" pp. 46-48.

See you next week.

Session 3

Another great step in this journey that is Equipped Disciple I. I thought our bible study discussion went really well. That's a bunch of stuff to unpack. Then again, we get more done before 8 a.m. than most people get done all day.

Ephesians 6:10 - 13


Keep reading and marking in your bibles. I'm looking forward to talking about that more this week. Keep reviewing John 5:24 and John 16:24 as you tackle "Assurance of Victory," 1 Corinthians 10:13, a long but amazing, practical verse. Use it to avert every temptation -- no job's too big or too small.

Also, complete the bible study "Obedience" (pages 40-43)

Finally, try to review the assignment for your current session as it's summarized at the end of the preceding chapter. This week, it could save you some time as we'll do the section on prayer after we've broken into our study groups.

Session 2

Hey Folks!

Remember to review John 5:24 in the midst of learning John 16:24. Consider writing a timeframe spanning a month (e.g. 5/30-6/30) and commit to review the specific verse daily. Stay committed to quoting Topic, Reference, Verse and Reference. You were pretty impressive last week. (Col. 3:23)

I bet you've already started looking at Tyranny of the Urgent. As I mentioned before, there's an amazing irony with trying to cram it in before class Wednesday. Perhaps it will inspire you to change that pattern as it did me.

I am excited to discuss this and the session 3 Bible study with you all!

I encourage you to get it knocked out. It's a bit longer than before, but great, great stuff.

New Testament Floor Plan

Click to Enlarge -- Thanks Erica!

Session One

Marking exercise -- pretty good stuff, yes? Start applying that, even if just for 5 minutes like this morning, and you're rolling.

Scripture memory -- Remember, I handed each of you the index cards and asked you to write John 5:24 - that's the verse we'll memorize as the Assurance of Salvation, since we think it gives the how, when's and why's a might better than 1 John 5:11-12.

Review pp. 12, 15 - 16 on How to Memorize and begin to review, review, review. More on that's available to those who CLICK HERE.

Read Beginning with Christ Explanation on pp. 12-15 and use it to complete the study in Session 2, pp. 18 - 21.

That's it! See you next week.

Please feel free to ask any questions as they arise.

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We quickly move to even more pragmatic lessons. Last week we tackled obedience. However, obedience to what? Some subjective mist that we pray to as we look for signs? Man, I hope not.
The Word of God, The Bible, provides such clear instruction, it makes Faith not even seem like faith at all. It's like having faith in the computer screen you're looking at. We don't really apply the term when it's moved to an objective state. If you're seriously considering your screen's existence right now, you either have a serious psychological disorder, there's a chemical creating a psychological aberattion or you are in college.
The faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11 may just as likely contain all our names. The faith's similar. In fact, ours is an equal blessing. We read about what really happened to Moses, to David. They lived it. So, does our faith come just from the reading? It clearly does not in my case. My faith is in a God who made a new creation of pre-40 James. Self-centered? Perhaps. Initially. However in the "working out" of the faith that began as a mustard seed, a dormant one at that, Christ now gives me a mountain-moving ability when I abide in him and him in me. Abide, love through obedience to his Word. So now, I have empirical evidence of the value of the word as it's described in II Timothy 3:16 (by the way Todd Wagner's "most" series list had this as the most important verse in the Bible). The universality of it puts me and you in the same potential place as our heros in Hebrews 11 and it makes God's "what, how and why" to Joshua in 1:8 applicable to us as well.

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So, we show our love for Christ through obedience? This idea may be new to folks. I kind of hope it is. It was a cornerstone in the demystification of Christ in my life. I think it signaled my movement from Christian to Christ-follower. Christian study was just another version of my interest in philosophy in general. However, the sink-your-teeth-into-it pragmatism of true Christianity removes the veil and subjective head games of philosophy and brings it to life; moves the action from the head to the feet and hands.
John 21 Is an amazing chapter in the ways Christ revealed himself to his disciples after his resurrection. In it, Christ performs a miracle to show the disciples that where they are fruitless fishing without Him, with Him their nets overflow. He also three times offsets Peter's thrice denial of him on the day of crucifixion. But this is just eye candy compared to Christ telling Peter how to show love. Do something. Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.
Earlier in John 14, Philip, Judas (not Iscariot), and Thomas all pose questions to Jesus, that have a similar pragmatic message. Do you love me? Obey. Although our memory verse is John 14:21 check out the whole Chapter. I must have been choosing to keep Christ in this mystical state so I could do what I wanted. It seems pretty clear obedience is the key to showing our love. How ya doin?

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I was struck with how much the topic of Maturing in Christ resonates in yours truly. Last week's note referred to II Corinthians 5:17 , the metamorphosis that occurs when the Holy Spirit takes the stick of our earth vessel. However, what isn't there is what those new things are.

Sure I've changed, but what of the new self? 2 Peter 1:5-7 outlines the character traits of the mature or maturing Christian.

Even while we're keen to have the faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perserverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love as our new self, the maturation process takes each noun to levels we can't even grasp.

At the time of our forgiveness for sure, and maybe for many years, we likely can't even fathom the depth of love, for example, Peter a/or Silvanus is describing here. Check out the different ways Paul's Greek in Phillippians 1 is translated to describe different depths of love.

Phil 1:7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Also notice the byproducts when you love these ways, discernment, purity, blamelessness, fruit of righteousness -- all critical elements of evangelism.

C.S. Lewis describes a pathway to this type of love in Mere Christianity.

Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.

Rich Young Ruler

Just so happens I'd recorded Rich Young Ruler earlier this year. Some of the notes are a bit a high, so if it gets too painful, Derek's version is also clickable here.

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This [blog] deal can start slowly and grow organically as we interact with it and each other. However, it doesn't have to. Although we're often quite comfortable with graduated change, gradual is often a rationalization of our procrastination. (to be read in a jesse jackson "voice")

An awesome additional, double-optional verse that can set our tone is 1 Thessalonians 5:14. Eugene Peterson expressed it this way in The Message.

Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

Sounds like great stuff to be committed to.

How do we achieve such selfless behavior? Well, for one, we move from an ego-centric to a Christ-centric walk.

Galatians 2:20 graphically explains it. The movement from egocentricity isn't some shades of gray, gradual move. It's the absolute crucifixion of the self.
II Corinthians 5:17 suggests metamorphosis (greek meta - change; morph - form) and it's as instant.

For next time, memorize both these -- in your translation. I've put the links to the NASB and NIV verses for Book two in, well, the LINKS section, on the upper right of this page. Also, if you didn't start quiet time and journaling this morning or last night, do it tonight or tomorrow morning. Review the 5 verses from book one at the same time. Knock out your 14 days and we'll be signing off on all that in session 3

Perseverance --L. from per- "very" + severus "strict"

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other." - Walter Elliott

"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -- James 1:4

The road to maturity and completeness in Christ is paved with perseverance. As you continue to practice the presence of God in your life, hang in there when the road gets tough. Here's a story that makes the point better than I can:

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared.

The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind:

"You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't moved." Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was
impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put
in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself.

Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock.

But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done.

Now, I, my friend, will move the rock."

*****

Persevere. God will move the rock.

And you think I Cor 10:13 is tough?

Click to Play

Seek and Find

Leroy Eims' Daily Walk Mr. Eims talks about seeing what you're looking for. A big reason folks say they don't get anything from a specific reading is that they're not looking for anything. Click the hypertext above to hear his 4-minute message.

He breaks out two areas that are helpful as he journeys through the Bible.

1. Topical reading -- Say your looking for better ways to witness or disciple. Go to the gospels and look specifically at how Christ witnesses the father or how he approached picking disciples.
2. Character reading -- Want to be a man after God's heart? Read stories of David. You get the idea.