Ministry > Discover The Word
Practical tools to bring clarity to often misunderstood Bible passages
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20).
IDEA: We must submit ourselves to the Scriptures even when the Scriptures are not saying what we think they should say.
PURPOSE: To help listeners be willing to see old texts in a new way in order to live according to the Scriptures.
The benefit to using different translations when studying the Bible
Monday, May 28, 2012
Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20).
IDEA: We must submit ourselves to the Scriptures even when the Scriptures are not saying what we think they should say.
PURPOSE: To help listeners be willing to see old texts in a new way in order to live according to the Scriptures.
No matter what we’ve done; God will continue to pursue us with an everlasting love
Friday, May 25, 2012, Part 3
“When the Lord began to speak to Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.’ So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son” (Hosea 1:2-3).
IDEA: God commands the prophet to marry a promiscuous woman. People in our culture are not upset by her sexual looseness, but that God commanded it.
PURPOSE: To help listeners grapple with the fact that God seems to commend what we think He should condemn.
An intriguing dialogue about the history of Israel when the prophet Hosea came on the scene
Thursday, May 24, 2012, Part 2
“When the Lord began to speak to Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.’ So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son” (Hosea 1:2-3).
IDEA: God commands the prophet to marry a promiscuous woman. People in our culture are not upset by her sexual looseness, but that God commanded it.
PURPOSE: To help listeners grapple with the fact that God seems to commend what we think He should condemn.
Discover how Hosea’s life mirrored God’s message to His people
Wednesday, May 23, 2012, Part 1
“When the Lord began to speak to Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.’ So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son” (Hosea 1:2-3).
IDEA: God commands the prophet to marry a promiscuous woman. People in our culture are not upset by her sexual looseness, but that God commanded it.
PURPOSE: To help listeners grapple with the fact that God seems to commend what we think He should condemn.
Discover how a passage in the book of Numbers is still relevant for us today
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
“Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.’ So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.’ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.’ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” (Numbers 21:4-9)
IDEA: The bronze serpent is not “magic,” but an instrument of redemption.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand why this isn’t superstition.
Discover fresh insight to familiar Bible passages
Monday, May 21, 2012
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hid from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:12-16).
IDEA: The Christ who knows us also represents us in heaven.
PURPOSE: To help listeners think about Christ the Word.
Let’s reveal the true hope behind this often misunderstood familiar verse in the Psalms
Friday, May 18, 2012, Part 2
“In the Lord I put my trust. How can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous. But the wicked and the one who loves violence his soul hates. Upon the wicked he will rain coals, fire, and brimstone and a burning wind; this shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteousness; his countenance beholds the upright” (Psalm 11).
IDEA: We can misrepresent God when we use a sentence in the Bible out of its context.
PURPOSE: To help listeners to look at who is speaking as well as at what is said.
Practical advice for reading through the Bible, and understanding it along the way!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, Part 2
IDEA: Because we have a reverence for the Bible, we may be led to misinterpret it.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that while the Bible is a unique text, it can be looked at as we would any other piece of literature.
Are you struggling to get a solid grasp on the Bible?
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, Part 1
IDEA: Because we have a reverence for the Bible, we may be led to misinterpret it.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that while the Bible is a unique text, it can be looked at as we would any other piece of literature.
Looking at some commonly misunderstood Bible passages
Monday, May 14, 2012
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
IDEA: A passage taken out of its context is a pretext.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize the consequences of misusing texts in the Scripture.
Discover why studying the Bible in community is so important
Friday, May 11, 2012
Discover why prayer is an indispensable part of a healthy relationship with God
Thursday, May 10, 2012, Part 2
“But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7-8).
IDEA: Prayer enables us to live in communion with our Father in heaven.
PURPOSE: To help listeners think about what happens when they pray.
Prayer is a key ingredient in nurturing a relationship with God
Wednesday, May 9, 2012, Part 1
“But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7-8).
IDEA: Prayer enables us to live in communion with our Father in heaven.
PURPOSE: To help listeners think about what happens when they pray.
A heartfelt look at what it means to pray in faith, without dictating how God must respond
Tuesday, May 8, 2012, Part 4
“But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7-8).
IDEA: We do not tell God our needs because He already knows them.
PURPOSE: To help listeners wrestle with why we pray.
