Tyler, please place your initial comments and answers to our questions here. Sean, please ask Tyler questions here. Visitors, feel free to join the discussion. (Please wait till Tuesday to post here).
The title of my book is THE BIBLE JESUS READ. The author is Philip Yancey. The book has seven chapters in it. I will be reading one chapter this week. The second chapter is called Job: Seeing in the Dark.
The first part of the chapter talks about how some people think that the book of Job is about suffering. Many folks neglect the first two chapters of the book. It tells a different reason for the book. The author says that the real theme is Job's faithfulness.
I agreed with him on that point, most people associate Job with suffering and rightfully so. He defintely suffers. I think a lot of people read it expecting to answer the "why" question. I think it answers it, but not the one you want to hear. It does ultimately come to faithfulness. Faith in knowing that we serve a God that does know what going on with us, and in the end, I believe you will somehow be glad it happened. I also liked the point he brought up that Job didnt have the luxury of knowing what took place in the first few chapters.
Sean, I guess why we do that is because we don't want to bore people with our problems or because we think that they might be saying in their minds, "Well, if you think you had it bad, look at what I went through." I guess it is a feeble attempt to acknowledge that you are not the only one who has problems, so you say something like, "I know that [what I faced] is not as bad as what you went through" or something like that.
In the case of relating this to our studies, I guess we could talk about difficulties that come our way and feel like we were complaining. Then if Job were here, we would acknowlege that we know that he really did go through a difficult time.
Job had real problems in his life. The author brings up that in the end, Job gets double what he had at first. All except his family is the same amount that he had before. The author believes that this is talking about future rewards in glory. Job will have "double" family as well when he got to heaven. How awesome is that?
I also want to talk about Job's friends. They came to comfort and ended up really getting onto Job. They thought that to get all this bad stuff meant that Job was a bad person. We sometimes do this to our brothers and sisters. Like Job's friends, we try to talk too much. I think that the best thing that his friends did was to sit with him for seven days and not say a word. Sometimes all our friends need is our presence.
I preached last night at Grange Hall. We had a good turnout and some good singing also. I preached about God's gifts to us and also the gifts that He gives to everyone. I think that God blesses lost people to show them that He does love them. The problem is that a lot don't want to realize that God is still in control. Let us be thankful for God's gifts.
I have heard people use the phrase "the patience of Job". I wonder if it was his patience that got him through or the fact that he had experienced the things of God. All to often we tend to say that we can do things ourselves, but God is the one who does it. I am greatful for those men of faith in my life. Is there anyone who you guys really look up to or had an impact on you lives and ministries?
One of my favorite things about the book of Job is that he is asking for a "mediator". Job talks about how he needs someone to plead his case before God. I think that is interesting because Job is thought to be one of the oldest books in the Bible. Even way back then, he realized the need for a Saviour. This speaks to Job's wisdom, also. He realized that he could not do it alone.
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.
9 comments:
The title of my book is THE BIBLE JESUS READ. The author is Philip Yancey. The book has seven chapters in it. I will be reading one chapter this week. The second chapter is called Job: Seeing in the Dark.
The first part of the chapter talks about how some people think that the book of Job is about suffering. Many folks neglect the first two chapters of the book. It tells a different reason for the book. The author says that the real theme is Job's faithfulness.
I agreed with him on that point, most people associate Job with suffering and rightfully so. He defintely suffers. I think a lot of people read it expecting to answer the "why" question. I think it answers it, but not the one you want to hear. It does ultimately come to faithfulness. Faith in knowing that we serve a God that does know what going on with us, and in the end, I believe you will somehow be glad it happened. I also liked the point he brought up that Job didnt have the luxury of knowing what took place in the first few chapters.
Sean, I guess why we do that is because we don't want to bore people with our problems or because we think that they might be saying in their minds, "Well, if you think you had it bad, look at what I went through." I guess it is a feeble attempt to acknowledge that you are not the only one who has problems, so you say something like, "I know that [what I faced] is not as bad as what you went through" or something like that.
In the case of relating this to our studies, I guess we could talk about difficulties that come our way and feel like we were complaining. Then if Job were here, we would acknowlege that we know that he really did go through a difficult time.
Interesting point that you brought up.
Job had real problems in his life. The author brings up that in the end, Job gets double what he had at first. All except his family is the same amount that he had before. The author believes that this is talking about future rewards in glory. Job will have "double" family as well when he got to heaven. How awesome is that?
I also want to talk about Job's friends. They came to comfort and ended up really getting onto Job. They thought that to get all this bad stuff meant that Job was a bad person. We sometimes do this to our brothers and sisters. Like Job's friends, we try to talk too much. I think that the best thing that his friends did was to sit with him for seven days and not say a word. Sometimes all our friends need is our presence.
I preached last night at Grange Hall. We had a good turnout and some good singing also. I preached about God's gifts to us and also the gifts that He gives to everyone. I think that God blesses lost people to show them that He does love them. The problem is that a lot don't want to realize that God is still in control. Let us be thankful for God's gifts.
I have heard people use the phrase "the patience of Job". I wonder if it was his patience that got him through or the fact that he had experienced the things of God. All to often we tend to say that we can do things ourselves, but God is the one who does it. I am greatful for those men of faith in my life. Is there anyone who you guys really look up to or had an impact on you lives and ministries?
One of my favorite things about the book of Job is that he is asking for a "mediator". Job talks about how he needs someone to plead his case before God. I think that is interesting because Job is thought to be one of the oldest books in the Bible. Even way back then, he realized the need for a Saviour. This speaks to Job's wisdom, also. He realized that he could not do it alone.
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