“Is Christ Divided?”

May 22, 2024

May 22, 2024

Read Joshua 2, Proverbs 17, 1 Corinthians 1

My wife and I are “a house divided.” She grew up about 30 minutes from Auburn, Alabama and is a die-hard Auburn fan. I grew up about 45 minutes from Athens, Georgia and am an equally loyal Georgia fan. What are some ways that you might be divided in your house? Is it over schools, sports teams, movies and music, or something else?

The one thing that we want to avoid dividing over most as Christians is in our faith. The letter to the church at Corinth starts out with a short greeting and then Paul gets right into the first problem they faced, a divided church. “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” v. 10. What were they divided over? We might not know everything but apparently Paul calls them out for which one of their teachers and leaders was their favorite to follow. Paul even mentions that he was glad they he had not baptized only a few so that they could not fight over that too. Paul boldly asks, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” v. 13. Paul was telling them they had their eyes on the wrong person. It wasn’t supposed to be on Paul, Apollos, or Cephas. They were only to have their eyes of Jesus Christ.

We might laugh at this and say, “how silly they are,” but we must be careful not to fall into the same trap today. We might have our favorite podcasts, preachers, or teachers but these need to come secondary to our Savior. Do we favor a book over “the book?” Do we prefer to listen to an eloquent speaker over listening to the Word of God? Do we prefer “a new word” from some contemporary Christian over the old Word of God that never changes? What else do you see in these three chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Strong and Weak”

May 18, 2024

May 18, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 32, Proverbs 13, Romans 14

Have you ever made a judgment of something or someone that you later took back? Maybe it was a decision that you judged for yourself about how to walk your faith out in a certain area of life. I have done this many times and had to admit when I was wrong or make an apology. Being a Christian does not mean living in a bubble exempt from the world. We must learn to live together as Christians even in our differences. The statement that is often repeated is “In the essentials we have unity, in the non-essentials we have liberty, and in everything have love.”

Romans 14 talks about what we should do when we have disagreements among believers with these non-essential items. First, we need to accept and understand that we will not always agree. We must do this without passing judgment on them. That is the Lord’s job. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters” v. 1.

Second, be set in our own personal convictions. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” v. 5. This is much like taking the plank out of our own eye in the illustration that Jesus taught in Matthew 7.

Third, we are not to look down on other believers even if they have a different view than our own. “The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him” v. 3. And again in verse 10, “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” God will do the judging and not us.

Fourth, we are to focus on the main things and set our priorities in them. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men” vv. 17-18.

Finally, we should avoid becoming a stumbling block to others. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling-block or obstacle in your brother’s way” v. 13. If we know that some we believe is okay to do offends another person, we should avoid doing it before them or in a way that causes them to stumble.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Truth and Lies”

May 17, 2024

May 17, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 31, Proverbs 12, Romans 12

We used to play a game in student ministry called “Two Truths and a Lie.” Each student would write down three statements on an index card. Two would be true about themselves and one a lie. We collected the cards and try to figure out who the person is first and then we try to determine which statement is a lie. It was one of my favorite games. You could always wrap a biblical thought in after the game was over.

Proverbs 12 speaks many verses about both truth and lies. “Truthful lips endure for ever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment” v. 19. Truth is never in danger of becoming not true. But a lie can easily forget the lie it told.  In verse 22 we read, “The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.”

Be a person of truth. Be honest, admit our mistakes, and be willing to speak the truth to friends and family.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Life or Death”

May 16, 2024

May 16, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 30, Proverbs 11, Romans 11

“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess” vv. 11-16.

Obedience is not hard and at the same time it is very hard. What do I mean? Well, knowing what to do to obey is not the difficult part. Sure, there are some things that may take a bit of thought, but we can quickly discern what we need to do in most cases. This is characterized in the first few verses above. It is not far from us up in heaven, we don’t have to cross the sea to understand it.

But the hard part of obedience that we all struggle with is to submit our wills to the Lord and follow His plan and not our own. From the first sin in the garden in Genesis 3 to the last sin you may have committed, obedience is a struggle for all of us. But don’t lose hope and quit. Just because we may not be able to completely obey doesn’t mean we stop trying.

What else do you see in these three chapters? What words, verses, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“The Struggle is Real”

May 12, 2024

May 12, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 26, Proverbs 7, Romans 7

The phrase, “the struggle is REAL!” is a statement you might hear someone say when they are having trouble doing something fairly easy or ordinary. Things like walking, or changing a lightbulb, or just trying to speak a sentence in English (or your native tongue). What have you struggled with recently? Opening a pickle jar or something else? The one thing we all struggle with is sin. It affects us all in various ways. Paul wrote about his struggle with sin in Romans 7.

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” vv. 14-20.

Paul was writing about the struggle he faced with his sinful nature and the life he lived through the Holy Spirit. When we decide to follow Christ we receive the Holy Spirit who helps us and convicts us of sin. Until we go to be with the Lord we will have the same battle that Paul did. We aim to mortify our fleshly sinful nature, but sometimes we will miss it.

Many people will often fault Christians for being hypocrites and not living up to the standard in the Bible. If this happens to you, the best thing is to own it. We all fail and miss the mark in some ways. Hopefully we can minimize the consequences and damage done to others, but sadly this is not always the case. When followers of Christ sin it doesn’t mean that Christianity is false, in fact, I would argue that it gives evidence that the Christian faith is an accurate description of how the real world is in truth and reality.

If you are struggling with sin, take heart remember even the Apostle Paul admitted his own struggle and he is one of the giants of the faith who wrote 13 books of the Bible and won many people to Christ through his mission trips.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“One Man”

May 10, 2024

May 10, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 24, Proverbs 5, Romans 5

In Romans 5 Paul takes us back to the beginning, to the creation account. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” v. 12. The New Testament sheds light on the Old Testament. Those who believe that God created the world through the process of evolution must deal with this passage. They may either attempt to say Paul was speaking metaphorically or some other explanation. If there is ever any doubt about the beginning of the world and the creation account we learn from the New Testament that it all started with “one man.”  But if you take the meaning of “one man” not being Adam then you should also take the second part of this passage metaphorically too and that is near impossible to do. That would deny that Jesus died for our sins. “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men” v. 18. What a poetic way for Paul to explain the gospel. Through “one man” (Adam) sin entered the world and through another “one man” (Jesus of Nazareth) righteousness came into the world. Sin affected the who world, but so also did the payment Jesus made on the cross for our sins.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“The End of an Act”

May 5, 2024

May 5, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 19, Psalm 150, Acts 28

Do you have a favorite play or show that you have seen? I have been to see “Wicked” at the Fox Theatre a couple of times and enjoy the storyline from one of my favorite movies growing up, The Wizard of Oz. Screen plays and shows often come with acts, which are large sections of the play that contain several scenes often tied together by a similar theme.

When the ship that Paul was traveling on wrecks into the beachhead at Malta the people of the island have all sorts of opinions about who Paul is. First they think Paul is a murder for having such bad luck from being bitten by a viper, but then when he survives, they view him as a god. “When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god” vv. 4-6. Paul had a really wide first impression from the people, both of which were wrong.

Paul finally arrives in Rome and he gets back to what he has always been doing, sharing the gospel with anyone he can. “For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain” v. 20. He stays there for two years preaching the gospel allowed to live in a house under a Roman guard.

Here in the last chapter of the book of Acts we find the end to Paul’s story. It is left a little unfinished as we do not read about the fate of Paul. Tradition tells us that he was martyred for his faith there in Rome. How will you end your final act? None of us may know, but we can make sure like Paul that our trajectory is one that serves the Lord. Will we be faithful like Paul to serve him until our last breath?

What else do you see in these chapters? What words or phrases, or stories stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“A Divided Family”

April 29, 2024

April 29, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 13, Psalm 144, Acts 22

Do you have a close family or are they a little bit on the continuous side? There are many stories in the Bible of families that were very dysfunctional to say the least. Jacob and his twelve sons and David and his son Absolom are a few that come to mind. In Deuteronomy 13 we read some shocking words from Moses and the Lord. “If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. 9 You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people” vv. 6-9. We must remember that this was in the Old Testament and under the Old Covenant that we are not bound today to follow. But we should take note from this passage of how serious God took those who would worship and also entice others to worship the false gods of the other nations. It would be morally better for one person to die rather than for one person to mislead many others to join in and fall away from worshiping God. What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Compelled”

April 27, 2024

April 27, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 11, Psalm 142, Acts 20

What compels you most? Is it a goal, a role model or personal friend that encourages you? Is it the Lord? Paul was the apostle who was volun-told to serve Jesus as a missionary to the Gentiles. God had called him on the road to Damascus and he surrendered to a life of service. Paul faced many hardships and difficult situations in his serve to God. ““And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” – Acts 20:22-24. Paul was compelled by the Holy Spirit, he was driven to serve the Lord in obedience and at whatever cost may come. Most people today will jump ship at the first sign of trouble or hardship. We must take a play from the life of Paul and be compelled by the Spirit to serve the Lord no matter what.

What else do you see in these chapters? Write you thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Criticize or Participate”

April 18, 2024

April 18, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 2, Psalm 124-125, Acts 11

Have you ever been criticized for something you have done even when it was the right thing to do? In Acts 11 we find a story about some Christians who criticized Peter for doing what God called him to do in Acts 10. Think about this again. Peter had gone to the home of Cornelius a Gentile centurion shared the good news with them and many of his family and friends believed and were saved. “Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days” vv.46-47. In the next paragraph we find out that some of the Jewish believers became critical rather than rejoicing about the Gentiles who became believers. “So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them’” vv. 2-3. These Jewish Christians had their minds on the wrong thing. It was not on the main thing, that many got saved, only that Peter had eaten with Gentiles. Peter explained himself and these Jews corrected their attitudes. They had much to learn, and it started from Peter.

A little later in the same chapter the church gets their chance to redeem themselves and they nail it! “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus” vv. 19-20. Now there mission endeavors to the Greek in Antioch. The message of the gospel was spreading more and more. This time, instead of complaining the church decided to help out and be a part of the work of God. “News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” vv. 22-23. The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to help the new believers and to encourage them.

We have the same choice today. We can either complain or criticize things that we might not like but where God is moving, and people are being saved or we can choose to be a part of the movement and come along side others and help them by participating in the work too. It’s your choice.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, verses, or themes stick out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

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