Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Course 11 Week 1 Main Comment Area
Place your comments below for week 1. You will be learning how to navigate this week. Your goal is to make 9 or more comments that are at least three sentences long. One of these posts should introduce who you are to the rest of us. The other comments may either be on the first section of the book you are studying, or they may be on other people's comments, or just about anythying this first week. After the first week, you will be making comments on the material we are studying.
Course 11 Starts Today
Course 11 Starts today. You may still sign up to join us between now and next Tuesday, February 2. Read the sections on the side bar about what is required on a weekly basis. You may also email me with questions at rcarneysurvey@yahoo.com.
Monday, January 18, 2010
New Course Starting January 28th.
If you would like to join us for the next session, please pick one of the textbooks listed on this blog, and send an email to rcarneysurvey@yahoo.com. Let us know what book you have chosen, and we will set things up for you. You may also have an elective course by telling us what book (other than those pictured) you would like to discuss.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Word Studies
In the last few posts, I talked about Jesus, as "the Word." In future posts, I will show how this "Word" can relate to the "words" of Scripture.
Today, though, I am using "word" in its usual sense.
One of our students gava a good example of identifying important words in what a person is studying.
Here is my reply to his report:
When you are studying material with vague or unfamiliar words, a very effective thing to do is to note what you think the word means according to the context of the sentence and see if that idea fits throughout the time of your reading. If it does, great. If not, keep refining your definition or come up with two or more possible meanings based on the context. At the end of your study, compare your guesses with the dictionary. Sometimes you will find an exact match. Most of the time you will find a meaning that is at least close to yours. At other times, you may find you were way off. Still, the discipline of going through this process will cause the word to stick in your mind.
Today, though, I am using "word" in its usual sense.
One of our students gava a good example of identifying important words in what a person is studying.
Here is my reply to his report:
"Criticism" was a good example of a common word used in a specialized way.
Historicity is an example of a word being important because of how frequently it occured.
Veracity may have been a word that was slighlty familiar. Your impresion that it meant, "genuine," seems to me like it could fit.
"Something that is true" is one dictionary definition (veracity. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/veracity (accessed: December 22, 2009).)
When I looked up "genuine," one of the synonyms was "true." (genuine. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/genuine (accessed: December 22, 2009).)
So, your guess was pretty good. It was accurate. Just remember the word, "truth," occurs a lot in the definitions too.
When you are studying material with vague or unfamiliar words, a very effective thing to do is to note what you think the word means according to the context of the sentence and see if that idea fits throughout the time of your reading. If it does, great. If not, keep refining your definition or come up with two or more possible meanings based on the context. At the end of your study, compare your guesses with the dictionary. Sometimes you will find an exact match. Most of the time you will find a meaning that is at least close to yours. At other times, you may find you were way off. Still, the discipline of going through this process will cause the word to stick in your mind.
Monday, December 21, 2009
God's Supreme Revelation
God’s Supreme Revelation
I spoke of Jesus, The Word, yesterday. As such, He is God's supreme revelation.
Look at how the writer of Hebrews puts it in chapter 1:
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
(Hebrews 1:1-4, NKJV)
God revealed Himself in the Living Word, which paves the way for Him to reveal Himself in the written word.
I spoke of Jesus, The Word, yesterday. As such, He is God's supreme revelation.
Look at how the writer of Hebrews puts it in chapter 1:
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
(Hebrews 1:1-4, NKJV)
God revealed Himself in the Living Word, which paves the way for Him to reveal Himself in the written word.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Jesus Is "The Word"
Words, as we know them, are representations of other things. If I say a word, a picture of an object may come to your mind. If I say another word, a picture of an action may come to you mind.
Jesus is the representation of the Father. He said that He and the Father are one. He said that, "if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father."
Words are expressions of other things.
The divine Word is the Expresion of the Father, or another way of putting it is to say that the Word is the divine expression of God.
The Word is Jesus because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
That divine Intelligent Designer of the universe is God, and Jesus is the Word, the divine expression of God. In fact, the Word was (and is) God.
Life is given by God. Eternal life is given by God. If we are going to experience eternal life, it will be given to us because God gives it to us. God, the designer, sets all things up according to His plan. Eternal life is what we call Heaven.
The way to Heaven has to be the Designer's way. Since Jesus is the Word, the way to Heaven will be His way.
Jesus is the way to Heaven. Thank God for the divine expression of His Word.
Jesus is the representation of the Father. He said that He and the Father are one. He said that, "if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father."
Words are expressions of other things.
The divine Word is the Expresion of the Father, or another way of putting it is to say that the Word is the divine expression of God.
The Word is Jesus because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
That divine Intelligent Designer of the universe is God, and Jesus is the Word, the divine expression of God. In fact, the Word was (and is) God.
Life is given by God. Eternal life is given by God. If we are going to experience eternal life, it will be given to us because God gives it to us. God, the designer, sets all things up according to His plan. Eternal life is what we call Heaven.
The way to Heaven has to be the Designer's way. Since Jesus is the Word, the way to Heaven will be His way.
Jesus is the way to Heaven. Thank God for the divine expression of His Word.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Jesus, The Creator, Was Born
One of the most fascinating things about Christmas is that Jesus, the Creator, was born as a baby.
This just underlies the fact of the Trinity. Jesus was "God in the flesh." In Jesus,"God became man." Those are all true statements.
This fact, though, also refutes the idea of modalism, that indicates that God just exists as one person at a time. If that was the case, who is keeping the universe together when God the Son, Jesus, is a baby? Also, who keeps things running when Jesus is dead?
Modalism implies that you had God acting as God the Father in the Old Testament. Then He acted as the Son while Jesus was on the Earth. Following that, He acted as God the Holy Spirit.
Actually, the three Persons of the Godhead are eternally distinct in subject-object relationship. Yet, they are all of one essence. The Godhead is like this: The Father is God in essence, but the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit in personhood.
Likewise, the Son is God in essence, but the Son is not the Father or the Holy Spirit in personhood.
In the same manner, the Holy Spirit is God in essence, but the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son in Personhood.
We cannot comprehend some aspects of this because, in our experience, we are used to there being one "being" in a one-to-one correspondence to one "person." For humans, it is one being tied to one person.
In the case of God, we have one "Being," but three "Persons." All of those Persons are, however, one God.
We cannot fully comprehend this, but we can apprehend that this is what the Bible teaches.
When we think of ways to Heaven, we understand that God is the only one who can make such a way, but we cannot remoe the fact that Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus is the way to Heaven.
This just underlies the fact of the Trinity. Jesus was "God in the flesh." In Jesus,"God became man." Those are all true statements.
This fact, though, also refutes the idea of modalism, that indicates that God just exists as one person at a time. If that was the case, who is keeping the universe together when God the Son, Jesus, is a baby? Also, who keeps things running when Jesus is dead?
Modalism implies that you had God acting as God the Father in the Old Testament. Then He acted as the Son while Jesus was on the Earth. Following that, He acted as God the Holy Spirit.
Actually, the three Persons of the Godhead are eternally distinct in subject-object relationship. Yet, they are all of one essence. The Godhead is like this: The Father is God in essence, but the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit in personhood.
Likewise, the Son is God in essence, but the Son is not the Father or the Holy Spirit in personhood.
In the same manner, the Holy Spirit is God in essence, but the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son in Personhood.
We cannot comprehend some aspects of this because, in our experience, we are used to there being one "being" in a one-to-one correspondence to one "person." For humans, it is one being tied to one person.
In the case of God, we have one "Being," but three "Persons." All of those Persons are, however, one God.
We cannot fully comprehend this, but we can apprehend that this is what the Bible teaches.
When we think of ways to Heaven, we understand that God is the only one who can make such a way, but we cannot remoe the fact that Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus is the way to Heaven.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Archaeology, the Bible's Friend
Arhaeology has been very useful for conservative Bible scholars. Some statements in the Bible were questioned as to their historical accuracy by liberal scholars. Then, years later the statements were confirmed by archaeological finds.
Roger, here is a story that relates to marriage and parenting. It was sent to my by my friend and former co-worker, Dr. Rober Griffin.
"Some years back as a good father, I bought my only daughter a special Barbie Doll House. Sadly (for me) it arrived in 189 plastic pieces. The instructions said that it could be put together in about "30 minutes or less". It took me most of the night and I was blurry-eyed and out-of-sorts on Christmas morning.
"I'm not vindictive, but after it was all put together, I wrote the company a check, cut it into 189 pieces and mailed it off for THEM to put together in 30 minutes or less."
Roger, here is a story that relates to marriage and parenting. It was sent to my by my friend and former co-worker, Dr. Rober Griffin.
"Some years back as a good father, I bought my only daughter a special Barbie Doll House. Sadly (for me) it arrived in 189 plastic pieces. The instructions said that it could be put together in about "30 minutes or less". It took me most of the night and I was blurry-eyed and out-of-sorts on Christmas morning.
"I'm not vindictive, but after it was all put together, I wrote the company a check, cut it into 189 pieces and mailed it off for THEM to put together in 30 minutes or less."
Monday, December 14, 2009
Course 10 Week 8 Main Posting Area
You may place your comments for week 8 in the comments section below.
Also, you may place your course wrap up here too.
For the course wrap up,
Answer the following questions:
1. What was your course about as a whole? (Try to boil it down to one sentence.)
2. What were the major parts of this course? (How was it organized?)
3. What were some of the important words in this course? (How were they used? What did they seem to mean as used in this writing? List at least three.)
4. What further study would you like to do on this topic, or what did you like best or least about your study this time?
Also, you may place your course wrap up here too.
For the course wrap up,
Answer the following questions:
1. What was your course about as a whole? (Try to boil it down to one sentence.)
2. What were the major parts of this course? (How was it organized?)
3. What were some of the important words in this course? (How were they used? What did they seem to mean as used in this writing? List at least three.)
4. What further study would you like to do on this topic, or what did you like best or least about your study this time?
The Reliability of the Gospels
I just wanted to share a little of what Roger was getting from his booK:
"In the Exegetical issues surrounding the Gospels it is noted that the Gospels prove to be divergent in what is included in their own gospel account however when you consider the differences in audiences your learn that each man was speaking and teaching to a slightly different culture, still the events and chronology of them actually harmonize between the gospels. Certainly evidence that the events and recording of them prove true to be actual accounts."
The Word of our God will stand forever!
"In the Exegetical issues surrounding the Gospels it is noted that the Gospels prove to be divergent in what is included in their own gospel account however when you consider the differences in audiences your learn that each man was speaking and teaching to a slightly different culture, still the events and chronology of them actually harmonize between the gospels. Certainly evidence that the events and recording of them prove true to be actual accounts."
The Word of our God will stand forever!
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Life of Christ
Roger's Book is covering events in the ministry of Christ.
Deacember is a great time of year to focus on Jesus because Christmas, of course, emphasizes His birth.
We realize that what make the birth unique, however, has to do with the divinity of Christ, the incarnation, the sinless life, and the death burial and Resurrection of Christ.
Jesus truly was "God in the flesh." If you had seen Jesus, you had seen the earthly expression of the Father. The Trinity is another reason why the birth of Jesus is important. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Jesus' birth is important becuase of the plan of salvation, which was worked out before the foundation of the world.
May the blessings of Christ be yours during this Christmas season and always.
Deacember is a great time of year to focus on Jesus because Christmas, of course, emphasizes His birth.
We realize that what make the birth unique, however, has to do with the divinity of Christ, the incarnation, the sinless life, and the death burial and Resurrection of Christ.
Jesus truly was "God in the flesh." If you had seen Jesus, you had seen the earthly expression of the Father. The Trinity is another reason why the birth of Jesus is important. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Jesus' birth is important becuase of the plan of salvation, which was worked out before the foundation of the world.
May the blessings of Christ be yours during this Christmas season and always.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage
In marriage seminars that I conduct, I talk about the LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage: Six Keys to Marital Bliss.
LOVING is an acronym for the following:
Leaving: The Most Important "Move" You Will Make in Your Marriage
Overcoming: The Most Important Commitment You Can Make in Your Marriage
Valuing: The Most Important Attitude You May Have in Your Marriage
Intimacy: The Most Important Connections You Will Make in Your Marriage
Needs: The Most Important Understanding You Will Gain in Your Marriage
Giving: The Most Important Action You Will Perform in Your Marriage
My speaking schedule is posted on The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage website. You can find it by doing a search for "The Loving Way to a Successful Marriage," or a search for "Six Keys to Marital bliss." If you do go to that website and look at the "fee" section, please look at the next page that talks about special disounts for churches (which means basically that I will come for a free will offering if at least travel and lodging expenses are guaranteed.)
I have used these topics to do marriage counseling with good success. In so doing I met with the couple for eight or nine weeks and covered those six topics in sessions 2-7.
LOVING is an acronym for the following:
Leaving: The Most Important "Move" You Will Make in Your Marriage
Overcoming: The Most Important Commitment You Can Make in Your Marriage
Valuing: The Most Important Attitude You May Have in Your Marriage
Intimacy: The Most Important Connections You Will Make in Your Marriage
Needs: The Most Important Understanding You Will Gain in Your Marriage
Giving: The Most Important Action You Will Perform in Your Marriage
My speaking schedule is posted on The LOVING Way to a Successful Marriage website. You can find it by doing a search for "The Loving Way to a Successful Marriage," or a search for "Six Keys to Marital bliss." If you do go to that website and look at the "fee" section, please look at the next page that talks about special disounts for churches (which means basically that I will come for a free will offering if at least travel and lodging expenses are guaranteed.)
I have used these topics to do marriage counseling with good success. In so doing I met with the couple for eight or nine weeks and covered those six topics in sessions 2-7.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Three-Fourths Done
It is hard to believe that we are three fourths of the way through this course. I hope your study has been a blessing to you.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wedding Ministry
In the Rockbridge course, we are discussing ministry that you can have in connection widh the task of performing weddings.
I want to share one of those with you here. (Bro. Roger, you will probably recognize who I am describing.)
A couple of days ago, I described an experience I had in a wedding where the groom used a cigarette lighter to light some of the candles. That was when I met him. (Our church did not have a policy of requiring pre-marital counseling.)
His wife had attended our church off and on for the last couple of years before the wedding. He was a truck driver and not home a lot of weekends. Then he got sick (some type of cancer--possibly related to his years of smoking.) He started attending church. Then he came to join the church. He said he had been saved and baptized (by immersion) earlier in his life, and he attended a Methodist church in those earlier years.
He could no longer drive his truck, and he started attending very regularly. On occasion I talked with him, and he "firmed up" his assurance of salvation. Then he had surgery on his throat. He was on oxygen and carried his tank with him. Still, he bacame more and more regular in church.
One Sunday, he was in church, and one of the ladies in the church was talking to him about his wife who was not there. He carried notepads with him to communicate. He said, "My wife asked me if I was not feeling well." He wrote further that he replied to her like this: "I'm not feeling well. That's why I'm going to church."
A few weeks before he died, our song leader asked if anyone had a request for a congregational song. He raised his hand, and the person next to him told the song leader what song he had picked out. It was, "I'll Tell the World That I'm a Christian." What a testimony that was. He wanted to communicate that assurance even though he could not speak.
I did perform his funeral, and I am thankul for the relationahip we developed and how a ministry developed from a humorous wedding experience.
(Bro. Roger, I am having internet connection problems--wrote this from McDonalds. I will get back on by Monday at least even if I have to take the computer somewhere else to hook up.
We will see you at church tomorrow for Homecoming. I will be preaching at ten o'clock at another church, so we will probably come in a little late.)
I want to share one of those with you here. (Bro. Roger, you will probably recognize who I am describing.)
A couple of days ago, I described an experience I had in a wedding where the groom used a cigarette lighter to light some of the candles. That was when I met him. (Our church did not have a policy of requiring pre-marital counseling.)
His wife had attended our church off and on for the last couple of years before the wedding. He was a truck driver and not home a lot of weekends. Then he got sick (some type of cancer--possibly related to his years of smoking.) He started attending church. Then he came to join the church. He said he had been saved and baptized (by immersion) earlier in his life, and he attended a Methodist church in those earlier years.
He could no longer drive his truck, and he started attending very regularly. On occasion I talked with him, and he "firmed up" his assurance of salvation. Then he had surgery on his throat. He was on oxygen and carried his tank with him. Still, he bacame more and more regular in church.
One Sunday, he was in church, and one of the ladies in the church was talking to him about his wife who was not there. He carried notepads with him to communicate. He said, "My wife asked me if I was not feeling well." He wrote further that he replied to her like this: "I'm not feeling well. That's why I'm going to church."
A few weeks before he died, our song leader asked if anyone had a request for a congregational song. He raised his hand, and the person next to him told the song leader what song he had picked out. It was, "I'll Tell the World That I'm a Christian." What a testimony that was. He wanted to communicate that assurance even though he could not speak.
I did perform his funeral, and I am thankul for the relationahip we developed and how a ministry developed from a humorous wedding experience.
(Bro. Roger, I am having internet connection problems--wrote this from McDonalds. I will get back on by Monday at least even if I have to take the computer somewhere else to hook up.
We will see you at church tomorrow for Homecoming. I will be preaching at ten o'clock at another church, so we will probably come in a little late.)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Jesus' Gallilean Ministry
This week, we will be studying about the ministry of Jesus in, and around, the area of Gallilee. This is usually divided into two parts, the early ninistry, and the later ministry. We will discuss both.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Course 10 Week 6 Main Posting Area
Please place your comments for week 6 in the comments section below.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving Weekend
Some of our scheduls may have been a little different this week.
Tomorrow will be out "catch-up day" for week 5 (if any catching up is needed).
Hope you had a good day today!
Tomorrow will be out "catch-up day" for week 5 (if any catching up is needed).
Hope you had a good day today!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Historical Jesus
Of course, Jesus is a historical figure. He is actually the focal point of history.
Some people who have gone on a quest for the "historical Jesus" have done it from an approach that seemed to undermine Scripture. They try to find the historical facts behind the "mythology" of Scripture. While they define "myth" in a way that is not as bad as the usual understanding of the word (as related to the Bible), they still are way too skeptical of some of the words in Scripture in my opinion. I do assure you that my stance is to be fully committed to the inerrancy of the Word of God.
Some people who have gone on a quest for the "historical Jesus" have done it from an approach that seemed to undermine Scripture. They try to find the historical facts behind the "mythology" of Scripture. While they define "myth" in a way that is not as bad as the usual understanding of the word (as related to the Bible), they still are way too skeptical of some of the words in Scripture in my opinion. I do assure you that my stance is to be fully committed to the inerrancy of the Word of God.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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