23 Sept 2017 - Are You Pretending to Be Someone You're Not?

A Practicing Christian ch 20 - Are You Pretending to Be Someone You're Not?

Questions

1. How have you "put on a mask" pretending to be someone you're not?
1. I try not to do this anymore and just be myself, but I sometimes find myself hedging whenever I find myself doing poorly, whether academically, financially, spiritually, emotionally, etc. I don't want people to realise what state I'm in; I'd rather them think I'm keeping up with the pack.
   Increasingly, though, I find I have more freedom in being transparent of where I am.
2. How can being phony hurt your Christian witness?
1. How we deal with hardship is part of our witness. How can we show the power of God in every situation if we mask the situations in which we need God?
3. Relate 1 Samuel 16:7 to how we sometimes judge others by outward appearances.
1. I mean it's pretty clear. God has indicated that He considers the contents of a person's heart to be of greater value than their external appearance. To judge by outward appearance it to judge incompletely or too early.

2 Timothy 1:13-18

"Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you." - vv. 13-14

Something that stands out here is the example Paul makes of Onesiphorus in contrast to the believers who have left the faith. Onesiphorus, it appears, was a great comfort to Paul in Rome, seeking him out to share in his company and encourage him while he was imprisoned/under house arrest .

20 Sept - Who Do People Say You Are?

A Practicing Christian ch 19 - Who Do People Say You Are?

Questions

1. How do we "pull people down" to our level when we sin?
1. We justify our sins by comparing them to worse or equal sins in others.
2. What does it mean from a Biblical perspective to have a spotless reputation?
1. To have a spotless reputation means that Christ is giving Hi reputation on our behalf, because, "There is no one righteous, not even one." - Rom 3:10
3. Must we attain perfection to have a good gospel witness?
1. No, but we must be willing to be transparent in seeking forgiveness for our faults.

2 Timothy 1:8-12

19 Sept 2017 - Do You Need to Hold Your Tongue?

A Practicing Christian ch 18 - Do You Need to Hold Your Tongue?

Questions

1. According to Psalm 19:14, what we focus on (meditations of my heart) and what we say (words of my mouth) are elated. How are they connected?
1. Well, Jesus himself said that out of the overflow of the mouth, the hearts speaks. What you are dwelling on and investing in will prove itself in your speech.
2. What steps should a Christian take if he or she is prone to saying offensive words or foul language?
1. Hold your tongue. Consider whether what you are about to say is edifying to you, the person you're talking to, or to God. If the answer is "no" to any of those, then perhaps you should reconsider.
3. Is it wrong to lose your temper?
1. Short answer, yes.
2. Long answer, let's take a look at what temper is. Nowadays, we just use temper to mean our anger, but temper, in this context, is a loanword from blacksmithing, it's also used in music. In blacksmithing, after the tool or blade has been shaped, ground, and hardened, it is then tempered, which means is undergoes a second head treatment that prevents the metal from being so hard is shatters with forceful impact and so soft it bends or dents. We see the same meaning applied when talking about tempered glass - it's glass that has been made to be able to withstand extremes of temperatures and rapid changes in temperature. In music, a "well-tempered" instrument is an instrument made and tuned in such a way that it sounds in tune when played in any key.
   So, then, one's temper, emotionally, is the internal fortitude to withstand extremes of emotion. It's theoretically possible to lose one's temper in extremes of sadness or joy, but the expression nowadays refers to that anger that is so intense it surpasses the threshold of one's temper, such that, like a metal that loses its temper, they snap.
   In that context, keep in mind the verse that says, "In your anger, do not sin."

2 Timothy 1:1-7

17 Sept 2017 - Are You Greedy?

A Practicing Christian ch 17 - Are You Greedy?

A lot of thoughts here...

"People's lives have a tendency to get wrapped up in accruing possessions, and they lose focus on life's main objective, or at least what should be their objective. For an example, take a person who works from sunrise to sunset trying to get ahead in life ... That person's reasoning is they want to provide the very best for their family - most of the time it's a house bigger than they need with a two car garage filled with very expensive cars."

In many ways greed is like Anorexia Nervosa. Just as in AN, where an already-underweight person is convinced they're overweight and need to lose weight, so with greed a person who already has sufficient wealth is convinced he or she doesn't have enough.

"A good Christian saves and invests for the future, but there are extremes to greediness."

There's a difference between wise stewardship of the financial gifts God has given and the selfish accumulation of money and assets. The former puts the gift of God to work to reap better returns for the kingdom, while the latter sacrifices time, energy, and sometimes relationships to fill an eternal void with finite material.

"The Bible teaches us to trust God for our needs as the birds of the air do, because we are more important to Him than the birds." 

Right. God is the Father, the Author of all things, the Shepherd. In none of these roles does He neglect His creation or His children.

"The problem we have is that we want to live better than He may provide for us, or we simply don't trust Him as we should."

We humans are so easily dissatisfied, comparing our blessings with those given to others, desiring what we don't have or consoling ourselves that we have more than the person next door. Not to mention that, in the cycle of greed, we gradually take our eyes off of God as our provider and we begin to view our gifts as things we worked for, that we would have more if we just worked harder. Of course, that's not how God works - we could never work hard enough to merit any blessing. So, then, we should learn to be satisfied with what God has given at each stage of life, trusting that it will be sufficient for our needs.

"Nothing is wrong with wealth, except when it takes time away from God and you lose your focus of why you were put here on this earth."

Bingo. Wealth is ultimately a tool to be used for furthering the kingdom. Many times, Christians vilify those who have wealth as though they are some kind of evil, immoral people. God's Word says, however, that it is the love of money that is the root of all evil, not the money itself. Money is the currency by which the world runs. So, why would God not gift certain of His children with wealth so that they could contribute to the spreading of His word? It's only when we begin to love money, when we begin to put it above God, our callings, our families, etc. that it becomes an idol.

Questions

1. How are "covet" and "greed" related in the context of Exodus 10:17?
1. Coveting is wanting what someone else has. Greed is not being satisfied with what you have. In that sense, covetousness is a subtype of greed.
2. Re-read Matthew 25:14-29. How does this parable relate to greed and good stewardship?
1. I don't se the relation to greed, but I definitely see the command to steward money well - as with any other gift, for that matter - that it may return to the master having grown in value and impact.
3. Is greed idolatry according to the Bible? Why? 
1. Yes. When one is greedy, one places himself as the provider, instead of God. Additionally, when one is greedy, one spends all of one's attention focused on ways to satisfy that greed - essentially worshipping it - sacrificing one's life at greed's altar. Lastly, when one is greedy, one values the object of desire above God and attributes to it qualities that belong to God only.

1 Timothy 6:17-21

"Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy." - v. 17

Basically, what was said above. I need to take this to heart, though, because, while I may not be rich right now, later on in life, compared to most of the world and much of the US, I will be and I need to learn now that my wealth is not the end, but merely something transient and temporary, as fleeting as this present life.

"Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come, so they may take hold of life that is real." - v. 18

To continue from the thought above, my wealth is not the end, but merely a tool to God's ends. This statement encompasses what the godly use of financial resources and blessings looks like.