The title of my book is PAUL:APOSTLE OF THE HEART SET FREE. The author of the book is F.F. Bruce. I also am watching four more DVDs this week. The chapters that I am reading are:
Chapter six is entitled "When the Time had Fully Come". It talks about the expectance of the Messiah by the jewish people. They expected someone to come an dset them free from Roman rule. They believed that he would be a military leader and would take back the Holy Land by force. Jesus certainly was not what they expected.
Chapter seven is entitled The Beginning of "The Way". It discusses the resurrection of Jesus. The religious leaders thought that they could breathe a little easier after the death of Jesus, but they didn't knmow haw wrong they were. Even some leaders told the rest of the sanhedrin that if they would not punish the disciples severely that this new movement would just go away. They did not know that it was of God. This chapter also talks about the death of Stephen. This event was the first time that Paul had come into contact with the Christian movement. I guess Paul did not realize just who Jesus was.
The DVD that I watched today talks about the speeches in the book of Acts. They are not precise, but are more of a summary of what was said. Some of the speeches that Paul gave closely resemble the things that he said in his epistles, as does some of Peter's speeches. The teacher also brought up the themes of the book of Acts. The central theme if the continuing work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 is the key verse to the book of Acts.
Chapter eight talks about Pauls early persecution of the church. The author says that Paul probably thought that christians were a threat to judiasm and that they had to be taken care of swiftly. He was under authority of the high priest. The decisions of teh sanhedrin were partly political, but Paul's were srictly religious.
The DVD was about the first two chapters of the book of Acts. Chapter one starts with the ressurection. It then talks about the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is from Jesus and is His continuing work on earth. Then it talks about the ascension and the promise of return. The last verses of the first chapter discuss the appointment of Matthias as the 12th apostle. Chapter 2 shows the giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of pentecost and the power that the disiples were given. The rest of the second chapter highlights Peter's sermon and the effects of it.
There was just one thing mentioned about tongues. The instructer said that no matter how people believe what we have now, that the example on that day of Pentecost was actually meaning that people could hear there own language when the disiples were preaching. It was a miraculous event given by the Holy Spirit.
Chapter nine discusses Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. Paul was on his way to try and stop the Christian church. He almost made it to Damascus when that light came upon him. I think that it is interesting that no one else could hear Jesus speaking. Maybe they were not ready to accept it. This moment is pivotal for us Gentiles because Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles. God did not take away his zeal, only used for the Kingdom.
The DVD that I watched talked about Acts 3 and 4-6. It talked about the healing of the paralized man at the gate of the temple and Peter second sermon. Peter talked about the renewel of all things(apokotastasis) and that it started on Calvary. The instructer brought up the "already/not yet" eschatology. It means that the apokotastasis has started in our lives,but will end when Jesus comes back. He also mentioned the four purposes of the church. They are: evangelism, edification, worship, and social activity. Then he talked about the story of Annanias and Sapphira, how it was a critical time for the early church and that is why they were made into such a powerful example. The DVD concluded with a discussion about the first deacons.
Did Paul have any choice in the matter of his conversion? How does it appear when you read the account? If one of the requirements to be an apostle means to have seen the risen Lord, do you think something like that might have happened here? Tyler and Sean, whet do you think?
I beleive Paul was given a choice, Paul believed in God, he didnt believe in Jesus. So when he heard God and perceived it to be Jesus. He probobly had a flood of thoughts and the realization that he was wrong. Then came repentance.Then he used his zeal that he had for the Jews, and equally used it spread the gospel.
I think that Paul had the vision and it awakened him through the power of the Holy Spirit. How wonderfully different this must have felt to feel the Holy Spirit for the first time! He did believe in God and was zealous fof Him. I believe that when he saw Jesus, he new that He is God.
Chapter ten talks about Paul's visit to Jerusalem. He met with Peter and James. I think that this is where Paul found out more about the death, burial, and ressurection of Jesus. All the New Testamnet books agree that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Paul probably learned a lot from this visit to Jerusalem.
The DVD that I watched was about the martyrdom of Stephen. There was an increased persecution that lead up to his death after he preached a powerful sermon. All of the church fled after this, except the Apostles. The discussion moved to the introduction to Saul as he began to persecute the church. We them talked about Philip's ministry as well as his story of the Ethiopian eunuch. I thought that it was important that the eunuch asked to be baptized after he heard the gospel.
You will notice some posts below that relate to various topics of discussion by our online community of preachers.
One of the purposes of Preachers' Meeting is to provide a place for young ministers or those recently called to preach to interact around the principles in a course of study recommended by our local group of preachers in the Southern Illinois area.
We invite you to look in on our conversations. If you would like to add comments as a guest, you are welcome to do so. If this looks interesting to you, you may join us as we start a new session. You can look in the side bar (or sometimes it is moved to right below this post) to see the weekly requirements. We start new courses every 8 or 9 weeks. As already mentioned, you are welcome to comment as a guest before that time.
Below these posts, you will see the word, "comments." Just click on it, and you will see a box on the right side of the screen where you may add your comments.
Look around. Enjoy yourself, and come back often!
Weekly Requirements
Here is a review of the general requirements for each week.
You have three assignments each week
(1) Make at least two initial posts in your posting area. The first one will be the name of the course, and the names (or numbers of the DVD's) of the chapters or lectures you will be covering during the week. The second one will be a comment on one of those chapters. You will receive one point for getting the first post in on Tuesday or Wednesday. You will also get a point for getting at least one more initial post in.
(2) Go to your fellow student's posting areas, and ask them a question or make comments about their intial posts. You will recieve one point for completing this assignment before 12:00 a.m. on Friday morning (that would be before midnight on Thursday).
(3) Answer the questions asked.
(4) On Fridays, I will also give directions for making remaining posts during the week. Be sure and read those, and take them into account when making at least one of your remaining posts.
In all, we want to make at least nine posts during the week. You will receive points for that as follows:
9 or more posts - 12 points
6-8 posts - 10 points
3-5 posts - 6 points
1-2 posts - 3 points
You will have the extra points you had accumulated by getting things in on time. Those are bonus points that will be used only to move your grade closer to 100 if you need them. They will be awarded each week if needed to move your grade up to 12 for the week. If you do not need them for that week, they will be carried over to the next week(s). Remember the posts that count for points will be at least three sentences long.
Thoughts on Application
Roger gave some good thoughts on application:
"Chapter 75, titled: 'Apply Within' is a lesson in application. The writer explains why it is sometimes difficult applying a sermon to real life situations. I will list some of the reasons application is not applied to our lives.
"First it is "hard work", it is hard to find application to every situation in the congregation,
"second, is wrong assumptions, assuming the audience is able to apply any and all biblical truths is totally a wrong assumption,
"third, is fear, fear of being to deep or to simplistic in the text and failing at application, and then there is training or lack thereof,
"many preachers know the text, and the history and the order of things but are totally untrained in application. One gentleman said it this way," how can you be a good football player when you can pass the ball, or when you can kick the ball, or when you can run with the ball but you don't know the rules of the game."
If you live in the souther Illinois area, we would like to invite you to a Couples' Marriage Enrichment Seminar on Saturday, February 27. It starts at 6:00 p.m and will run to 9:00 p.m.
After the welcome, there will be a dinner. Then there will be an opening session, followed by two breakout sessions, then a short closing.
The Keynote Speaker is Dr. Randy Carney (That's me :)!) and Roger and Janet Dutton will be speaking during the breakout sessions (That's Roger, who is commenting on this blog during this term!). Randy and Rhonda (my wife!) Carney will also have a breakout session discussing "Keys to Marital Bliss."
The Keynote Address will be on the topic of "The Way to a Successful Marriage: The Shocking and Surprising Truth."
Roger and Janet will be talking about "Hope for Restoring your marriage."
The cost is $15.00 per couple and that includes a dinner and all seminar materials. A nursery and childcare will be available. (Please indicate that you need these services when you register.) A book table with resources from Handfuls on Purpose Christian Bookstore will be available.
The seminar is for couples of all ages, ranging from newlyweds to marriage veterans!
To register, call 618-627-2228 to let the church know how may will be attending. Payment can be made at the event. (Make checks to TFBC.) For more information, call the church at 618-627-2228.
The Greatest Love
Since Valentine's Day falls on Sunday this year, I imagine there will be a ton of sermons going out on the topic of love.
Paul talked about love and respect in marriage (Ephesians 5), but he was really saying that that was an illustration of the relationship between Christ and the church.
Christ
Left Heaven to come to this earth.
He
Overcame adversity while here. He even conquered death!
He
Valued mankind so much that He gave Himself on the cross.
He desires fellowship with us. He reconciled the world to Himself, so that people could have an
Intimate realtionship with Him.
He meets all of our
Needs.
He is the supreme example of
Giving.
Do you see the word, LOVING, there? That is what He is--our LOVING Savior! Because of that, we should love one another.
Course 11 Week 4
Scroll down to the week 4 area to begin commenting.
Dealing with the Closed American Mind
One of the chapters Roger is reading is entitled, (something like) "Dealing with the Closed American Mind." I don't know if it is mentioned in the chapter, but I suspect that if you tak about something where a person has a felt need, you can gain their hearing somewhat.
What are your thoughts?
You may scroll down and comment in the week 3 comments area. Visitors are welcome to comment also.
Connecting with Postmoderns
This is something most preachers do every Sunday. If you have young unchurched visitors in your church, you will be trying to reach postmoderns. Even some of your church youth are more influenced by postmodernism than by their previous Sunday school teaching.
Here is my reply to one of Roger's posts:
"Roger, what tips stand out to you for commecting with postmoderns? I think the term modern referred to an age in history that related to new thoughts in science, etc. (If I am off base, refresh my memory.) Post modern refers to the time following that era. Connecting with postmoderns is something you have to do, whether you realize it or not, almost every time you preach."
I will post some of his answers here if he sees the question in time.
Preaching--Proclamation of God's Word
Preaching, by one definition, is the proclamation of God's Word. As such, a person, can take the Scriptural passage and find some of its main points and emphasize those points.
While I believe we should learn all we can about the grammatical construction of the words of Scripture, and that we should learn all we can about the historical setting for when those words were originally spoken; the nice thing about proclaiming the Word is that you can just take what the text says and emphasize it. Then the Word will not return void.
People with all different types of backgrounds have been called to preach throughout the centuries. Some very "unlearned" (as the world would put it) men have had great results by simply taking the main ideas of Scripture and simply emphasizing them. As long as we do not twist the meaning, this simply shows the amazing power of the Word of God.
New Format
I am going to try putting my comments for each day in this left sidebar. The comments areas for the remaining weeks are displayed to the right. That is where you will place your comments for each week.
17 comments:
The title of my book is PAUL:APOSTLE OF THE HEART SET FREE. The author of the book is F.F. Bruce. I also am watching four more DVDs this week. The chapters that I am reading are:
6. "When the Time had Fully Come"
7. The Beginning of "The Way"
8. Persecutor of the Church
9. Paul Becomes a Christian
10. Paul and the Jerusalem Church
Tyler
Chapter six is entitled "When the Time had Fully Come". It talks about the expectance of the Messiah by the jewish people. They expected someone to come an dset them free from Roman rule. They believed that he would be a military leader and would take back the Holy Land by force. Jesus certainly was not what they expected.
Tyler
Chapter seven is entitled The Beginning of "The Way". It discusses the resurrection of Jesus. The religious leaders thought that they could breathe a little easier after the death of Jesus, but they didn't knmow haw wrong they were. Even some leaders told the rest of the sanhedrin that if they would not punish the disciples severely that this new movement would just go away. They did not know that it was of God. This chapter also talks about the death of Stephen. This event was the first time that Paul had come into contact with the Christian movement. I guess Paul did not realize just who Jesus was.
Tyler
The DVD that I watched today talks about the speeches in the book of Acts. They are not precise, but are more of a summary of what was said. Some of the speeches that Paul gave closely resemble the things that he said in his epistles, as does some of Peter's speeches. The teacher also brought up the themes of the book of Acts. The central theme if the continuing work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 is the key verse to the book of Acts.
Tyler
Yes, you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusaem, Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.
The instructor of the DVD course is Dr. Kevin Hester.
Chapter eight talks about Pauls early persecution of the church. The author says that Paul probably thought that christians were a threat to judiasm and that they had to be taken care of swiftly. He was under authority of the high priest. The decisions of teh sanhedrin were partly political, but Paul's were srictly religious.
Tyler
The DVD was about the first two chapters of the book of Acts. Chapter one starts with the ressurection. It then talks about the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is from Jesus and is His continuing work on earth. Then it talks about the ascension and the promise of return. The last verses of the first chapter discuss the appointment of Matthias as the 12th apostle.
Chapter 2 shows the giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of pentecost and the power that the disiples were given. The rest of the second chapter highlights Peter's sermon and the effects of it.
Tyler
Just curious, was there a discussion on tongues in that second chapter of Acts?
There was just one thing mentioned about tongues. The instructer said that no matter how people believe what we have now, that the example on that day of Pentecost was actually meaning that people could hear there own language when the disiples were preaching. It was a miraculous event given by the Holy Spirit.
Tyler
Chapter nine discusses Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. Paul was on his way to try and stop the Christian church. He almost made it to Damascus when that light came upon him. I think that it is interesting that no one else could hear Jesus speaking. Maybe they were not ready to accept it. This moment is pivotal for us Gentiles because Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles. God did not take away his zeal, only used for the Kingdom.
Tyler
The DVD that I watched talked about Acts 3 and 4-6. It talked about the healing of the paralized man at the gate of the temple and Peter second sermon. Peter talked about the renewel of all things(apokotastasis) and that it started on Calvary. The instructer brought up the "already/not yet" eschatology. It means that the apokotastasis has started in our lives,but will end when Jesus comes back.
He also mentioned the four purposes of the church. They are: evangelism, edification, worship, and social activity. Then he talked about the story of Annanias and Sapphira, how it was a critical time for the early church and that is why they were made into such a powerful example. The DVD concluded with a discussion about the first deacons.
Tyler
Did Paul have any choice in the matter of his conversion? How does it appear when you read the account? If one of the requirements to be an apostle means to have seen the risen Lord, do you think something like that might have happened here? Tyler and Sean, whet do you think?
I beleive Paul was given a choice, Paul believed in God, he didnt believe in Jesus. So when he heard God and perceived it to be Jesus. He probobly had a flood of thoughts and the realization that he was wrong. Then came repentance.Then he used his zeal that he had for the Jews, and equally used it spread the gospel.
I think that Paul had the vision and it awakened him through the power of the Holy Spirit. How wonderfully different this must have felt to feel the Holy Spirit for the first time! He did believe in God and was zealous fof Him. I believe that when he saw Jesus, he new that He is God.
Tyler
Chapter ten talks about Paul's visit to Jerusalem. He met with Peter and James. I think that this is where Paul found out more about the death, burial, and ressurection of Jesus. All the New Testamnet books agree that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Paul probably learned a lot from this visit to Jerusalem.
Tyler
The DVD that I watched was about the martyrdom of Stephen. There was an increased persecution that lead up to his death after he preached a powerful sermon. All of the church fled after this, except the Apostles. The discussion moved to the introduction to Saul as he began to persecute the church. We them talked about Philip's ministry as well as his story of the Ethiopian eunuch. I thought that it was important that the eunuch asked to be baptized after he heard the gospel.
Tyler
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