Mawwiage, Mawwiage It's What Bwings Us Togevah Today.

In case that little title confused you... it is a movie quote from one of my all time favorite movies! The Princess Bride! Really the priest here is saying, "Marriage, Marriage it's what brings us together today" but he has a speech impediment so it comes out a little funny. So since I first saw this movie, potentially at age 7ish (I have no idea when the first time I saw this was), anytime I talk about marriage I think of that quote. Click here if you want to see the clip I'm talking about!

So as the priest says, "Mawwiage it's what bwings us togevah today". This last week, we have been studying what a Godly marriage should look like. It was a really intense week! For someone who is so far from that point in life I was able to learn a ton. A biblical marriage looks very different than what the world tells us marriage should look like. As I read what the Word had to say, there were times I had to swallow some pride as a woman. The whole submitting to your husband thing... yeah... not easy. But then there were other moments that made the hard moments easier. Yes we are suppose to submit as women but husbands are suppose to love their wife to the point of death! If they are doing that, should it not be easier to submit to them?! God is good in his will for marriage and successful marriages tend to look like what the Word says they should look like.

I made an outline about 3 different biblical marriages. There are negatives and positives about each one. Even in the Bible, there is NO perfect marriage. I also have an outline about 5 goals I want to have for my future marriage (good luck to the sucker who marries me!). This is in no way a comprehensive list but a short list. Enjoy!

Marriages of the Bible

·      Adam and Eve

o      Positives:           

§       God made woman out of man and they were one. (Genesis 2:22, Genesis 2:24)

o      Negatives:

§       Did not communicate well

·      Eve was told she could not even touch the fruit and that she would die if she did (Genesis 3:3)

·      God had told Adam just not to eat the fruit, not that he could not touch it. (Genesis 2:16,17)

§       He did not lead well

·      He was right by her when she ate the fruit and he did not stop her or say anything (Genesis 3:6)

·      Boaz and Ruth

o      Positives:

§       He pursued her right

·      Waited until it was the right time (Ruth 4:1-10)

·      Took care of her before romantically pursuing her (Ruth 2:8-9, 15-16)

§       Interested in her, not because of her beauty but because of her dedication and commitment to Naomi (Ruth 2:11-12) (Ruth 3:11)

o      Negatives:

§       Took Ruth taking action to get Boaz to act (Ruth 3:1-10)

·      Job and His wife

o      Positives:

§       When things got hard Job’s nameless wife tells Job to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9)

·      Job rebukes her and does not curse God (Job 2:10)

§       Continues to show wife how to live for God

o      Negatives:

§       Job’s wife nearly instills doubt of God into his mind.

§       He later does curse his life and I would think it had to do with the non-encouraging words of his wife. (Job 3)

Goals of Marriage

1.    Marry a person who is also a Christian

§       “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”- 2 Corinthians 6:14

2.    Honor God in marriage

§       Marriage should be a picture of how Christ loved the church

o      Wives should summit to husband like they do to Christ

§       Ephesians 5:22-24 “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

o      Husbands should love their wives as Christ loves the church

§       Ephesians 5:25-28 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

§       Honor God in your family’s finances

o      Be faithful in tithing

§       Luke 16:10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”

§       Matthew 6:31-33 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

§       Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measure to you in return.

3.    Do not defile marriage with sexual immorality

§       Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

4.    Fulfill each other’s needs

§       Sexual needs

o      1^st Corinthians 7:3-4 “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife o her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.

§       Man makes sure family is provided for.

o      1^st Timothy 5:8 “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

§       Woman is ultimately in charge of running the house

o      Proverbs 31:24-31 “She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

5.    Raise up Godly children

§       Proverbs 22:6 “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

§       Colossians 3:21 “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”

Again, this is not comprehensive but just a quick list! If you have any questions of anything you think I should add I would love to hear it! 

Until next time,

Logan

Houston, We Have A Problem!

This week at we studied the tongue. Now this is not a problem anatomy wise... I did that business a few years ago... strongest muscle for its size blah blah blah (my anatomy professor would be so proud of me). No, I am talking about the main function of the tongue.. speech. Words, phrases, sentences, communication; one of the main reasons the human species has come so far! The tongue is a POWERFUL piece as to why civilization is as we know it is. Now you may be asking yourself... okay so why is this a problem as is indicated in the title of this post? Well as Uncle Ben once told us, "with great power comes great responsibility" and folks, I am not the most responsible person with my powerful tongue! Oh don't get me wrong, I am an expert with it. It is my weapon of choice (like 99% of all females in the world). I can do more damage with my tongue in 5 seconds than I could do with my fist in 100 years. This is where we have got a problem! I have always been sarcastic. I don't mean I do it here and there, always. I am more along the lines of, came out of the womb being sarcastic, always. I am pretty darn good at coming up with that quick comment that has a bite to it. Some call it a gift, but after studying what the Bible has to say about it I think it may be a curse. I never really thought my words were hurtful but after enough sarcasm it is bound to tear anybody down. In fact the greek root of the word sarcasm literally means "the tearing of flesh"... YIKES!

I am going to try to be better about my words. I need to reflect Christ in my actions and I do not think sarcasm does a great job at that! Here is what the Bible says about the tongue! (I recommend James 3 if you want to read a complete chapter about it!)

Sarcasm is destructive[i]. It is an evil act against another[ii]. We will be judged for our words[iii]. Sarcasm kills ministry[iv]. If you are able to control your tongue, you will be able to control the rest of your body[v]. Sarcasm taints praising the Lord[vi]. We should pray for control over our tongue[vii]. Our words should be wholesome[viii].

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[i] James 3:5

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

James 3:8

But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

Proverbs 26:19-23

So is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, “Was I not joking?” For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the body. Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross are burning lips and a wicked heart.

[ii] Jeremiah 9:8

Their  tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit; with his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, but inwardly he sets an ambush for him.

Proverbs 15:4

A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit.

[iii] Matthew 12:36-37

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

Matthew 7:2

For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

[iv] James 1:26

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

James 3:6

And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

[v] James 3:2

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

James 1:4

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

[vi] James 3:9-10

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

Matthew 12:34

You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

[vii] Psalm 141: 3

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

[viii] Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to hose who hear.

Colossians 3:8

But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

Colossians 4:6

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Inductive Bible Study

Ok so let me just say that I will probably never post twice on the same day ever again BUT I thought I would go ahead and put this up since I was ready to!

This is an outline of how to do an inductive bible study. It is a type of bible study that digs into the history and content of the bible. It is neat and very informative!

Why Inductive Bible Study?

• The inductive bible study method takes the Word and digs out as much information as possible by examining things like:
• Context – Instead of only studying a verse or two, it is important to look before and after the passage in question. This allows the reader to understand what the author is really trying to say. If a verse is read out of context it can lead the reader to believe things that are not true.
• A common example of this is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” If you were to just read this you would think that as long as you were trying to do something “through Christ” you would be successful! I can make this free throw because I can do all things through Christ! This is not what the verse is saying! If you read the verses before this you see that Paul is speaking of how he can be content while he is suffering. He states, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Phil 4:12) He can only do this through Christ who strengthens him!  Context completely changes the meaning!
• Word Meanings – The bible was written mostly in Hebrew and Greek so many people around the world have translated versions of it. It is very difficult to directly translate these languages to others so sometime it can be very beneficial to go back to the original word to see exactly what it means in the original language.
• Historical Background – This closely ties to both context and word meanings. This bible was written thousands of years ago so unsurprisingly traditions have changed. It is important to know what would have been custom in the days or what was going on politically because it would help make sense of  what the true meaning of the text is.
• For example: In Luke 7:36-50 There is a very sinful woman who enters into a pharisee’s house where Jesus is dining and washes His feet with her perfume from her alabaster jar and her hair. Well, if you just read that it’s seems like a good story but it is not nearly as significant if you know the background of it.
• It is likely this woman could have been a prostitute so entering into a religious leaders house is pretty gutsy to begin with.
• The alabaster jars back in the day were not made in such a way you just open it up and pour out the liquid. They were made to stay in tact but the smell of the liquid would spread out like a portable air freshener. These were extremely expensive back then. It would have been a very valuable possession for this woman. She would have had to smash the jar in order to spread the liquid onto Jesus’ feet. She destroyed one of her most valuable possessions to honor Him.
• A respectable woman back in the day did not let her hair down in public, ever. In fact, if she did and she was married it would be ground for a divorce! The fact that this woman did shows her great humility and the intimacy she desired with Christ.
• This passage turned from a neat story about a woman who honored Jesus to an incredibly brave woman who risked everything and gave everything to honor her Jesus. Pretty big difference.

Knowing the Word will keep you from believing and teaching incorrect teachings.

• Studying the Word closely will keep you from believing incorrect teachings.
• Acts 17:11 “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
• Studying the Word closely will keep you from preaching incorrect teachings.
• 2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Three Major Steps of Inductive Bible Study

1.     Observation

·      Read over a few times to get the big picture of the book/chapter.

·      Ask yourself the five W’s and the H.

o      Who – Who wrote it? To who?

o      What – What was the general theme?

o      When – When was it written? What was the history of that time?

o      Where – Where is this happening?

o      Why – What is the purpose?

o      How – How is the message being delivered and in what circumstance?

·      Using some type of colored pens/pencils, mark key component/characters with a certain color. This helps you visually understand who is in the passage and what they are talking about.

·      EX: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you gentiles – Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made know to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.” – Ephesians 3:1-3

·      All of the me’s and you’s in this passage can lead to confusion but by marking them it helps you keep them straight.

2.     Interpretation

·      This is when you studying each passage/chapter in depth. What is the text actually saying? It is a good time to use your general knowledge from your observations and add in word studies and context.

·      During this phase you look for repetition. Is there a certain phrase/word that continues to be used? If so it is noteworthy!

·      Make lists and comparisons/contrasts charts. This helps organize the information being stated. An example of making a list would be Proverbs 6:16-19.

o      “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

o      Right there the Word lists out what God hates. It seems like an important passage to make note of!

·      An example of a contrast would be Proverbs 21:29

o      The wicked put up a bold front, but the upright give thought to their ways.

o      This verse makes the distinction of what a wicked man does what an upright man does.

·      Cross Referencing

o      Cross referencing allows you to see where the bible addresses a topic in a different location. This can help you understand a topic more fully.

o      For instance, in Genesis 14 the biblical character Melchizedek is introduced. While there is some information on him in this passage you do not understand how important he is until you read about him in other passages such as in Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 5:6, 6:20, 7:1-28. Here you learn he is an unusual priest in the fact that he is not a Levite nor is he a Son of Aaron. He is the same type of priest as Jesus becomes. A king, priest.

3.     Application

·      How does this apply to your life? Beliefs should affect behavior. Are your beliefs evident in your behavior? If not, what should you do to make them so? What knowledge from this passage can you use to lead a more Godly lifestyle?

What you need to do inductive bible study.

·      Bible

o      In order to study the Word of God you need the Word! If you do not have a bible of your own I would recommend the New American Standard version and if you want it for inductive bible studies they make an edition just for it. It is called The New Inductive Study Bible. This has wide margins that allow you to write notes and such. There are plenty of cross references there for you as well.

·      Colored pens/pencils

o      These help you mark the passages in whatever way helps you understand it better.

·      Notebook

o      This will be good to help you keep your thoughts straight and it provides a place for you to make lists if you don’t want them in your bible.

·      OPTIONAL: Commentary

o      A biblical commentary is a book that is written by a biblical scholar who can provide extra information and writings to help you comprehend the text. This is a great tool but it is good to study it first by yourself to try to come to your own conclusions before going off what somebody else says.

Inductive bible study is a great way to dig deeper into your bible. It takes time and effort but it is well worth it in the long run. All you need are some pens, paper, and of course the bible to do this. The real question is what is keeping you from it!

Logan

A New Phase of Life

This year I have the amazing opportunity to pause my life and spend 8 months studying the Word of God. So after spending five great weeks at home in Edmond, OK I packed up my car (and my dad's too) and drove up to the great town of Branson, America, my new home for the next year. Branson is quite an interesting town... On one hand it is the corniest town in America full of silly shows and attractions. My favorite question I am asked when I tell people I am moving here is if I am going to be in a show. That is just a hilarious thought!

The local side of Branson is a completely different story. This is the Branson I love. It is full of beautiful scenery and extremely friendly people.

This is where my new community of 50 college graduates reside. People who want to grow in their faith. I am excited to see how God will use this town and these people to strengthen me in my walk towards Him.

I will be posting most of my assignments and notes onto this blog so you can see what I am up to here. If you have any questions about them or about the Institute I would love to talk to you!

The first post is a belief statement about conflict resolution. A belief statement is just a paragraph about what I believe about a subject with scripture to back up every point. One thing we have been taught here is how conflict can really make a wedge between yourself and God. My paragraph talks about how conflict between you and others as well as with God can affect your relationship with Him. It also talks about the way the bible says to resolve it.

Conflict will occur in a believer’s life.[1] Conflict displeases God.[2] We should participate in conflict resolution because God showed us mercy.[3] Conflict resolution is necessary between man and God, through confession, for a healthy relationship with God.[4] Conflict resolution is necessary between man and others for a healthy relationship with God.[5] Conflict resolution involves you resolving your own conflict before addressing another’s.[6] Conflict resolution should be done one on one if possible but if the person does not listen bring another.[7] This should be done in humility.[8] By properly doing conflict resolution, you will be blessed[9] and forgiven[10].

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[1] Conflict will occur in a believer’s life.

  Verse 1 - Ephesians 4:3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

  Verse 2 – Proverbs 14:4 “Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.”

[2] Conflict displeases God.

  Verse 1 – Proverbs 6:16,19 “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:… a false witness who pours out lies  and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

  Verse 2 – Proverbs 6:12-15 “A troublemaker and a villain who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers, who plots evil with deceit in his heart – he always stirs up conflict. Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed – without remedy.”

[3] We should participate in conflict resolution because God showed us mercy.

  Verse 1 – 1^st Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

  Verse 2 – Titus 3:4,5 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”

[4] Conflict resolution is necessary between man and God, through confession, for a healthy relationship with God.

  Verse 1 – Pslam 139: 23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

  Verse 2 – Mark 11:25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

[5] Conflict resolution is necessary between man and others for a healthy relationship with God.

  Verse 1 – Matt 5:23-24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

  Verse 2 – Matt 6:14 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

[6] Conflict resolution involves you resolving your own conflict before addressing another’s.

  Verse 1 – Matt 7:3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

  Verse 2 – Psalm 51: 3-4 “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.”

[7] Conflict resolution should be done one on one if possible but if not bring another

  Verse 1 – Matt 18:15-16 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.

  Verse 2 – Luke 17:3 “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”

[8] This should be done in humility

  Verse 1 – Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

  Verse 2 – Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”

[9] By properly doing conflict resolution you will be blessed

  Verse 1 – Matt 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

  Verse 2 – James 5:19-20 “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

[10] By properly doing conflict resolution you will be forgiven.

  Verse 1 – Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

  Verse 2 – Psalm 32:3-5 “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

I have found myself already using this format and it seems to work well!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Logan