Tag: top ten

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Discovering Jesus: A Retrospective from those who walked with him

So we’ve been trying to figure out ways to connect people with Jesus (whether a seeker or curious or already believing), His Word and our new faith community – Circles Of Grace! Tonight we did a Discovering Jesus event where we used the “artist motif” of a “retrospective” to string together 9 “portraits” of Jesus throughout his life in our “Art/Story Gallery.”   It was creative and insightful!

The definition for a retrospective is:

“an exhibition or compilation showing the development of the work of a particular artist over a period of time.”

Discovering Jesus -Powerpoint with explanations and setting the table for people to engage with Jesus (PDF)

So we took 9 chronological vignettes from the writings about Jesus of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John and read them together and made some comments. We called them “Portraits of Jesus.”

We actually photocopied the pages out of a Bible so that everyone had the same words.  Below you can see the packet we put together with all the 9 stories/portraits:

DiscoveringJesus-2019-07 Packet of 9 portraits

Here is the list of the 9 portraits we picked as well:

1) Birth – Matthew 1:18-25
2) Baptism – Matthew 3:13-17
3) Teaching – Mark 4:21-25 & 30-34
4) Healing – Mark 5:21-43
5) Transfiguration – Mark 9:2-10
6) Teaching – Mark 9:33-37
7) Murdered – Matthew 27:1-66
8) Resurrection & Appearances – John 20:1-31 (Matt. 28:1-15)
9) Ascension – Acts 1:1-10

I know that the Word has the power…and we saw Jesus in a powerful way tonight through His Word. I trust that some of this might help you as you seek to help connect people to Jesus, His Word and your faith community!

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Top Ten Bible Passages on Satan

1) Job chapters 1-2 – Interaction & reality
Satan’s awful work, but still under the authority of God.

2) John 8:44 – Devious Description by Jesus
Jesus describes him as: devil, murderer & father of lies.

3) Revelation 12:9-10 – More Descriptions
Also named: satan, devil, serpent, dragon, deceiver.

4) 2 Corinthians 4:4 – “God of this age.”
Called the god of this age who blinds people from Jesus.

5) Mark 4:15 – Steals good seed
He snatches away the Gospel from “hard soil.”

6) John 12:31; 16:11 – “Prince of this world”
Called by Jesus the prince of this world.

7) 1 Peter 5:8 – Intimidator
He prowls around like a roaring lion.

8) 2 Corinthians 11:14 – Masquerade
He masquerades as an angel of light.

9) Revelation 20:1-10 – Final Deception & Destruction
He deceives nations and his final destiny of destruction.

10) James 4:7 – Victory is ours -Resist!
Resist the devil and he will flee!

*11) Possible descriptions of satan’s fall: Isaiah 14, Ezek 28:11-19

*somehow every top ten list has one I just can’t leave off.

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LOVE: My Top Ten Bible Passages on Love

1) 1 John 4:7-8 – God is Love
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God–for God is love.

2) Matthew 22:37-40 – Jesus says Love God & Love Others
Jesus replies to a question about “What is the greatest commandment?” with this profound statement.

3) 1 Corinthians 13 – Love:What it does and what it doesn’t do
The “wedding” passage is beautiful because it is applied to all of life…not just matrimony.

4) Romans 8:35-39 – Nothing Can Separate Us From Jesus’ Love
The bottom line of Jesus’ love for us…nothing can get between us!

5) Psalm 136 – God’s Love Endures Forever
This Psalm repeats how “His love endures forever” after every phrase of the history it records. A powerful and repetitive lyric of how God’s love connects with our history.

6) Exodus 20:6 – God’s Love Lavished on a Thousand Generations
Packaged in the Ten Commandments (sometimes thought to be not very loving) this verse shows how much God blesses those who love and obey Him.

7) Psalm 23:6 – God’s Chasing Love
At the end of one of the most famous passages in the Bible, David finishes his poem with God’s “unfailing love pursuing him all the days of his life.”

8) John 15:12-13 – Jesus’ Love Leads to Laying Down Life
Jesus in this passage defines the greatest love as laying down your life for a friend. Then a couple of hours later, He dies on the cross.

9) John 13:34-35 – Love Proves Following Jesus
After the footwashing at the last Supper (where Jesus “shows the full extent of his love—see 13:1), Jesus says show the world you are my disciples through love.

10) Matthew 5:44-46 – Love Your Enemies
Jesus urges His followers to go beyond natural love to “supernatural” love…to choose to love our enemies.

*11) Luke 7:41-47 – Forgiven Much, Love Much
The immoral woman was forgiven much and she loved Jesus much. Jesus tells a story which links “much forgiveness” to “much love.”

*So many good LOVE passages in the Bible I had to add this one! 😉

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God’s Characteristics from the Bible

HisCharacteristicsWhat is God like? God’s characteristics are described for us throughout the Bible. It is important for us to understand as much as we can about what the Bible says about God. Read each passage below and write out what you find out about God from the Bible verses.

To make it easy for you, each one listed is hyper-linked to Bible Gateway*:

GodCharacteristicsTable

(a picture of the chart contained in the study From Genesis to Jesus)

*Linked to the New Living Translation

Note: This list is an excerpt from Lesson 1 of a full beginners study on the Bible called From Genesis to Jesus.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but a simple and comprehensive list of key characteristics of God for someone new to the Bible and the faith of Christians.

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Shocking Statements of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew: My Top 20

Today I was reading Keith Minier’s blog and realized their church family @GracePick is just starting a series on the Shocking Statements of Jesus. ShockingStatementsMatthew

A while back I did a series on that, but just pulled statements from the Gospel of Matthew. In a quick tour of the first half of  Matthew, we outlined a list  the Top 10 Shocking Statements by Jesus. Then we continued in a second week with the second half of the book and did 10 more…so we ended up with a Top 20.

Here’s my list:

Shocking Statement #1: And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” bible.us/Matt4.19.NASB

Shocking Statement #2: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but... bible.us/Matt7.21.NASB

Shocking Statement #3: “So that you may know that the Son has authority on earth to forgive sins…Get up, pick up your mat… bible.us/Matt9.6.NASB

Shocking Statement #4: “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” bible.us/Matt9.12.NASB

Shocking Statement #5: Do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you…bible.us/Matt10.19.NASB

Shocking Statement #6: But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. bible.us/Matt10.30.NASB

Shocking Statement #7: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, & I will give you rest.” bible.us/Matt11.28.NASB

Shocking Statement #8: “But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.” bible.us/Matt12.6.NASB

Shocking Statement #9: For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother & sister…bible.us/Matt12.50.NASB

Shocking Statement #10: The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls & finding one pearl… bible.us/Matt13.46.NASB

Listen to the Message on the first 10 Online
Check out the Powerpoint of the first 10 Online

Top Ten Shocking Statements by Jesus in the second half of the book.  

Shocking Statement #11:  I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. http://bible.us/Matt16.18.NIV

Shocking Statement #12: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves & take up their cross & follow me… http://bible.us/Matt16.25.NIV

Shocking Statement #13: Whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven… http://bible.us/Matt18.4.NIV

Shocking Statement #14: If your brother or sister sins, go & point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen…http://bible.us/Matt18.15.NIV

Shocking Statement #15: Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant… http://bible.us/Matt20.25.NIV

Shocking Statement #16: The tax collectors & the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you… http://bible.us/Matt21.31.NIV

Shocking Statement #17: Jesus took bread broke it & gave it to his disciples, “Take and eat; this is my body.” http://bible.us/Matt26.26.NIV

Shocking Statement #18: My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. http://bible.us/Matt26.42.NIV

Shocking Statement #19: Jesus cried out in a loud voice…My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?http://bible.us/Matt27.46.NIV

Shocking Statement #20: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…I am with you always…http://bible.us/Matt28.18.NIV

Check out the Message recording of the #11-20 online

Check out the Powerpoint of #11-20 online

 

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Scriptures Reflecting Their Inspiration: Top Ten Bible Passages on Inspiration

What the Bible says about itself. . .
All Scripture is inspired.  Inspiration is literally “God-breathed.”  Inspiration in the biblical definition means that all the very words of Scripture were God-breathed.
            This text emphasizes that divine inspiration applies to the whole original text of the Bible.  It doesn’t say that all Scripture is equally important, but that it is equally inspired by God (cf. Judges 3:16 and John 3:16).
ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED
This text explains something of the “how” in divine revelation. It emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s superintending work over the human authors.  Both the human and divine elements exist, but the divine is in control.
THE HOW OF INSPIRATION INCLUDED GOD AND MAN
Christ endorsed
1)    the fact that Moses authored the Pentateuch (first 5 books of OT) and
2)    the divine inspiration of the Pentateuch. 
As a corollary, the emphasis is once again, as in 2 Timothy 3:16‑17, on the written product as being divinely inspired and preserved (see Matthew 5:18).
THE PENTATEUCH IS INSPIRED
Christ endorsed the Prophets.  In this case, Daniel is mentioned by name.  Thus this becomes an important proof text since Daniel, more than any other book outside the Pentateuch, is ridiculed and rejected by liberal “scholarship.”
THE PROPHETS ARE INSPIRED
Christ endorsed the Psalms, in this case also attesting to David’s authorship.
THE POETIC BOOKS ARE INSPIRED
Christ endorsed the entire Old Testament (called the “Law and the Prophets” in this verse‑ see Matthew 5:17, 7:12, 11:13).
THE ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT IS INSPIRED
Christ declared that his own words were eternal and infallible.
THE GOSPELS ARE INSPIRED
Christ declared that His teaching did not represent the sum of new revelation.  He stated that the Holy Spirit would give further, complete truth to the Apostles.  This verse teaches two things: (a) further revelation would be given to the Apostles, and (b) this revelation would be completed in the Apostles’ lifetimes, since Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide them into “all” truth.  Correlate this passage with John 17:17, where Jesus, speaking to the Father, says, “Thy word is truth [aleithia, same word as 16:12‑13].”
FURTHER REVELATION WOULD FOLLOW THE GOSPELS
Paul taught that his teaching carried divine authority (see also 1 Cor 14:37).
THE LETTERS/EPISTLES ARE INSPIRED
Peter affirmed the inspiration of Paul’s letters, equating them with the “other Scriptures.”  (The Greek word for “other” is loipos, meaning rest, further, remaining.)
THE LETTERS OF PAUL ARE INSPIRED