Tag Archive - Bible

My Sheep Know My Voice

May 3, 2012 in Weekly Email with 0 Comments

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). He is not just a good shepherd. He stands apart from all the rest. He is different. He is unique. The Book of Hebrews calls him “the Great Shepherd of the sheep.” (Hebrews 13:20) There is no other like him. There is no one else that can bring lasting and significant change into your life like Jesus. No one can have the impact that Jesus does. He has come that you might have full (John 10:10), abundant (Romans 5:17), and eternal life (John 3:16). It is only Jesus who can give these things. Everything else is an imitation of the real deal.

Jesus has come to bring us these things, yet we do not always experience it. Why not? The answer is because we are like sheep. All we like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to our own way. (Isaiah 53:6) We are stubborn. We go our own way even to our own peril. Jesus leads us to green pasture and the still waters (Psalm 23:2) but we would rather walk through the parched desert.

If you are failing to experience the full and abundant life that Jesus has come to offer, ask yourself if you are allowing yourself to be shepherded by the Great Shepherd of the sheep. Jesus says, “my sheep know my voice. They listen to me and follow me.” (John 10:27) Do you know Jesus voice? Are you listening to that voice? And even more important, are you following that voice?

There is no substitute for spending time each day with the Great Shepherd of the sheep. Are you allowing him to prioritize your day or are you setting your own priorities? Whose agenda are you following? Is it your agenda or is it the agenda of the Good Shepherd?

The Bible says Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted yet he was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus knows and Jesus understands what you are going through. He is not a God who is far removed from us. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to the challenges of life because he has has experienced them himself. He is not talking from theory. It is wise to listen to his guidance.

If you have not yet taken time to listen to the Good Shepherd today I would encourage you to stop what you are doing. Open up your Bible. The Gospel of John is a great starting point. As you read, listen for the voice of the shepherd. You can hear his voice by asking yourself:

*Is there a verse, a word, an idea that stands out in my reading? (Often times a certain part of the reading will just jump off the page.) *Why does this verse, word, or idea stand out? *How does this apply to my life? *What is one thing I can do differently as a result of word, verse, idea?

When it comes to learning to had the voice of the Shepherd there is no place to turn to like the Scriptures. It is not that the voice of the Good Shepherd can be heard in different ways. It is that this is the primary way in which the Good Shepherd makes his voice heard. (Hebrews 1:1-2)

This next Sunday we will look at yet another illustration Jesus gives about how he helps us in our times of trial. This illustration is that of the vine and the branches found in John 15. We will examine the importance of pruning and of being connected to the vine. Looking forward to seeing you Sunday at 8:30 or 10am!

David, Week 8 Study Guide

October 17, 2011 in David with 0 Comments

October 17-23

Dealing with Difficult People

Memory Verse:

Galatians 6:7–8 (NLT) 7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

Day 1

2 Samuel 13

Who is the mother to Amnon (2 Samuel 3:2)? Who is the mother to Absalom and Tamar (2 Samuel 3:2)? Who was first in line for the throne?

What is David’s response to Amnon’s misdeed (13:21)? What is missing about David’s response? How are the sins of the father visited upon his children?

When the prophet Nathan confronted David about David’s sin with Bathsheba, Nathan told a parable of a rich man who stole a poor man’s sheep. David demanded the rich man must pay the poor man with four sheep for his sin. What happens to David’s sheep (children) in this story?

David was a great military leader and politician. Where is David’s leadership lacking?

If you were David, how might you have responded differently?

When our children stumble, what is our role as parents?

Day 2

2 Samuel 14

Whose best interest is Joab serving? Absalom? David? Himself (14:1-3)?

Even though the woman was deceptive towards David, why does avoid still concede (15:19-21)?

Why is the reconciliation between David and Absalom not a full reconciliation (14:23-24)? Why do you think David did not allow Absalom back into his house?

We might say that Absalom had to set a fire under Joab to get his attention (14:28-32). Why is it difficult to respond to the needs of others or for them to get our attention?

Do you have disputes in your family? How might you be a catalyst to bring restoration and reconciliation?

Day 3

2 Samuel 15, Psalm 3

What is Absalom’s sin in verses 2 Samuel 15:1-3? What do you think led him to this sin? What did Absalom seek to serve by “helping” the people who came to him?

Why did Absalom wait four years until he made his play for the throne (15:7-10)?

Why do you think David did not realize what was happening until it was too late (15:13)?

As an official of the king, how might you have responded to David in this situation (15:15)? Would you have followed David into the wilderness? How would you characterize these officials’ response?

Why does David weep as he goes up the Mt of Olives (15:30)? Why does Jesus weep upon the Mt of Olives (see Luke 19:41-44)?

Why does this situation look so bleak (Psalm 3:1-2)?

Where does David express confidence in the conflict (3:3-4)?

When conflict arises, how do you respond? How would God have you respond?

Day 4

2 Samuel 16-17

Who was Ziba (16:1; see 2 Samuel 9:1-13)? Mephibosheth?

What is Ziba’s motive in this story (16:1-4)?

Why is it easy to taunt, criticize, ridicule someone when they are down? Is it the godly response to gloat over someone else’s misfortune? How about the misfortune of our enemy?

Compare David’s response to Abashai (16:9-10) to that of Jesus’ response to Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10-11)?

Where did Ahithophel’s advice come from (16:23)? Why is Ahithophel’s advice confused (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-31)?

Why does Ahithophel commit suicide (17:23)? Does his reaction seem extreme?

Who do you seek advice from? Is it godly advice or worldly advice you are receiving? What will happen if you follow the right advice? What will happen if you follow the wrong advice? How do you determine between the right and the wrong advice?

Day 5

2 Samuel 18-19

How does Absalom’s delay benefit David (18:1-3)?

Why did David order for Absalom’s life to be spared (18:5)?

What was the result of Absalom’s selfish play for the throne and lust for power (18:7,14-15)?

Why do you think Joab was able to so easily disregard David’s order not to kill Absalom and even reprimand David (18:14-15; 19:1-8)?

Why was David so shook up over Absalom’s death (18:33)?

Most of chapter 19 deals with the aftermath of Absalom’s revolt. Describe the relationship between justice and forgiveness. How are both practiced in this chapter?

Daily David, Week 4, Day 3

September 21, 2011 in David with 0 Comments

Psalm 19 is an incredible Psalm of worship and praise. It is an incredible reminder of who God really is.

How does God make himself known according to the Psalm 19?

Verse 1 says that God makes himself known though his creation. When we look to the skies, how can we not acknowledge there is an amazing God who created all of this?

Later on in verse 7 it says God is made known though the Word. That is the Bible. God sets forth his instruction for us in his life-giving Word. It is here we come to know him and live for him. Verse 10 says the Word of God is more desirable than even gold.

What names does David give to the the Word of God in verses 7-9? How do we know God’s Law is perfect? Why is it wise to obey?

David describes the Word of God as the Instructions of the Lord, Decrees of the Lord, Commandments of the Lord, and Laws of the Lord.

God’s Law is perfect because it is from God. It is without error. We may question God’s Word from time to time. Human pride will lead us to do so. We think we know better. But over and over again God’s Word shows itself true.

Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey. These are the words of Jesus that ring so true. When we live outside the authority of God’s word, we find ourselves in all kinds of trouble and despair. We are presumptuous to think that we know better than God knows. If we are wise we will follow his lead knowing there is no better way to live.

What is the value of the Scripture according to verses 10-11?

God’s Word is described as more desirable than gold, sweeter than honey, and a great reward for those who obey.

Who alone knows the extent of our sin and alone can forgive our sin according to verses 12-13?

God alone knows our hearts. He sees within what no one else sees. He sees our faults which we will often not even acknowledge to ourselves.

Not only does God know our hearts, he is also the only one who can forgive us of our sin. It is only by his Holy Spirit that we are empowered to live in obedience to his calling in our lives.

Who do we live to satisfy and please according to verse 14? Why?

We live to please the Lord. He is our Rock and our Redeemer. It is by him that we have our life and breath. He is the one who created us and is therefore our righteous judge. If we are not living to please the Lord all our efforts, life, and work will be in vain.

Yes, It is a Challenge!

September 7, 2011 in Weekly Email with 0 Comments

I hope everyone was encouraged by the first message in our series on the life of King David. I am very interested in hearing your feedback both good and bad. This is something new for you and for me. I do not ever recall assigning daily Bible readings with questions in any previous Sunday morning message.

On Sunday, many of you shared with me how meaningful and helpful it was to have done the readings in preparation for the message. It helped to make the message more relevant and you were able to take more away. It made me glad that many of you were able to see the extra benefit.

The other thing I heard was that some of you struggled to get the readings done and to answer the questions. Some of you were honest and said that you were not able to complete everything. One person shared with me that they wish the study had not been so detailed and hoped that it could be simplified. I appreciate all the honest feedback from you, and hope that others of you are willing to share with me so that we can better refine this tool for everyone.

I would like to give you some encouragement as we go forward. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 it says, “a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” In Galatians 6:7 it says, “You will always harvest what you plant.” In other words the more you invest, the more you will see a return. I eagerly desire to give you the tools to invest greater time and depth in the Word of God so that you might see a greater return. I firmly believe the more you put in, the more you will get out.

With that said, I will not pretend that it is easy. It is easier to sow a few seeds than it is to sow many seeds. Many of us are very busy and it is hard to set aside time to do the readings and to answer the questions. We have many things that distract us. It is indeed a challenge. But I would not offer the challenge if I did not believe it was worth it. Maturity in faith takes time and it takes effort. If we look for the magical spiritual growth pill we will not find it.

So if you find yourself challenged, good! I believe God wants us to be challenged and he wants us to stretch ourselves. You feel yourself frustrated keeping up, keep working. It has only been one week! Keep pressing to develop the habit of setting aside that time to be in God’s Word. Satan will do everything in his power to prevent you from feeding on this Daily Bread. Pray for the passion and the longing to enter into the Word, that nothing is going to keep you away from this time with God.

There may be others of you who read the readings, answered the questions, and heard the message and were left still wanting. You did everything that you were challenged to do, but it did not significantly impact you in anyway. You found yourself asking, “what is the point to all this?” I find this happens when I make my time with God to be a burden. I make it to be something I need to do out of obligation. I find when I approach this special time with God out of obligation, that my heart is not really open to what he wants me to hear. God longs to spend this time with us, but he wants us to be open and receptive to him. He desires we come willingly and in expectation that he will speak to us.. If you find yourself entering the Word out of obligation rather than out of love for God, then pray and ask that he would create within you a clean and pure heart. Ask he would give you eagerness and a desire to share life together with him. Using the illustration of sowing and reaping, the harvest does not come right away. The farmer sows the seed in the spring and the harvest is reaped in the fall. You may very well still be in the spring season. Keep sowing even though you may not see the harvest today. It will come. Trust me!

In the end I want you to know grace does abound. If you do not complete the readings and the questions you should not feel guilty. We want to give these to you as a tool to help you grow. They are available for the taking. I know there are some of you who desire to go even deeper yet and have asked me for additional resources to study. And that is great! But we are all at different places in our journey and we all have different passions. You best know where you are at in your walk and in your ability. If you go through all the readings and answer all the questions in great detail – great! If you just do the readings without answer the questions – great! If you don’t do the readings or the questions but come to hear the Sunday message – great! Anytime we expose ourselves to the Word, there is only good that can come from it. The more the better, but God will use whatever we give him.

David, Week 2 Study Guide

September 1, 2011 in David with 0 Comments

September 5-11

Slaying Giants

Memory Verse:

Psalm 27:1 (NLT) The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

Day 1

1 Samuel 17

What made Goliath to be so intimidating (17:4-7)?

What was the Israelite response to the giant’s challenge (17:8-11)? Who should have rightfully fought Goliath (see 1 Samuel 9:1-2)?

Goliath kept coming back for 40 days (17:16) to challenge the Israelites. What are the giants that keep coming back in your life that will not go away?

What was the only way Goliath would go away?

Why do you think Eliab (David’s brother) was so critical of David (17:28)?

Why did David have such confidence to fight Goliath (17:34-37, 45)? Why is David ultimately the one “most qualified” to fight Goliath?

How is Saul’s trying to help David, by giving him his armor, actually hurting David (17:38-39)?

What was Goliath’s greatest weapon against the Lord’s anointed (17:41-44)? How did David counteract this (17:45-47)?

Why do you think it is significant David “ran” to meet the giant in 17:48?

Day 2

Psalm 27

What are the three ways David describes God in verse 1? How does this give David (and us) confidence?

What does David acknowledge happening in verses 2-3?

If you could have one thing from the Lord, what would it be (27:4)?

What is David’s response to God’s deliverance (27:5-6)?

David talks about seeking (27:4,8) and waiting (27:14). What is the relationship between seeking and waiting for a follower of Jesus?

How do we learn the ways of the Lord (27:11)?

Day 3

Psalm 121

As I read this Psalm I think about David lifting his eyes to the hills and I wonder what he would have seen. Two things come to mind. The first is the armies of the enemy. The battle of David and Goliath was fought in the Elah Valley. The Israelites would have formed ranks on one side of the valley. The Philistine army would have then formed ranks on the opposite ridge. So at this particular point in time, as David lifted his eyes to the hills on the other side, he would have seen the Philistine army.

Another thing David potentially saw when he lifted his eyes to the hills was the altars dedicated to false gods. Throughout ancient Israel there were “high places.” The high places were holy sites used for the purpose of worshipping and sacrificing to fertility gods known as Baals and Ashteroths.

In light of this, it makes sense for David to ask the question, “where does my help come from?” What is David’s confident response (121:2)?

What is the time of day that you normally sleep? Why is it significant God does not sleep during this time (121:3-4)?

Describe a time when the Lord protected you or intervened in your life?

Where is you coming – the places you are called to serve (121:8)? Where is your going – the place God is taking you both now and eternity (121:8)?

Day 4

Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11 is often called the Hall of Fame of Faith. List all the perfect people in this chapter:

Write your definition of faith:

What are they trusting in? Is faith for the present or the future or both? Why?

What was the result of these people’s faith?

God responded in amazing ways to these people’s faith. Yet at the end of this chapter he says he is not done. What is the something better planned for us (11:39-40)?

Day 5

1 Samuel 18

What were the blessing David received as a result of defeating Goliath (18:5-7)?

What were the consequences (18:8-9)?

Why was Saul so jealous of David? What did his jealousy drive him toward (18:10-16)? What are the negative consequences of jealousy you have seen in your own life and in the lives of others?

Why did Saul really send David to kill the Philistines (18:25)?

Do you think that at this point in time, David might have longed to go back to the shepherd’s field? What does all of David’s success bring him?

Life is filled with hills and valleys. David went from one of his highest highs to his lowest lows in a matter of days. But through it all, what was the one constant in David’s life?

Ready to Go!

August 29, 2011 in Sermons with 0 Comments

Ready to Go!

This is the last message in our summer series. However, it may be the most important message of them all. Our mission as a church is to make an eternal impact. If we are only impacting the here and now and do not make a dent on eternity, then we have done nothing. For many people, their eternity hangs in the balance. You may be the only person to stand in the gap. Are you ready to go to answer the call?

In this message Bob and Sandi Kessler share an inspiring story from a summer camping trip they had recently taken. The Scripture reading is from Acts 8:26-40.

Life After Death

August 24, 2011 in Posts with 0 Comments

I am amazed how my One Year Bible readings often come together. Today was no exception. There has been a lot of talk about life after death. One of the reasons for this is because of a current bestselling book called Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. I have not read this book myself, so I am not able to comment on it. But what I can comment on is my daily Bible readings from this morning.

One of the readings was Psalm 39. In this reading the Psalmist points out how fleeting life is.

Psalm 39:4–5 (NLT) 4 “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Again he writes:

Psalm 39:12 (NLT) For I am your guest— a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me.

The most certain thing in life is that we will die. This may not be a pleasant thought for you. We spend a lot of time and money trying to avoid this reality. But as much as we try to run from it, we cannot avoid it.

In another reading from Job, Job wonders:

Job 14:14 (NLT) 14 Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death.

Job clearly recognizes the certainty of death, but Job hopes that death is not the end. He eagerly desires that there is more out there than just this life on earth which is filled with so much suffering. Job lived before the time of Jesus. So he did not have the opportunity to hear the gospel message we celebrate today.

Job anticipates what is so eloquently expressed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:

1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NLT) 51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Jesus is alive. And because Jesus is alive we know we too might live a new life. Death is not the end, but it is the beginning. It is a whole new start. When you put your faith in Jesus, death is not something to dread, but something to look forward to.

However, there must be a word of caution here. Not everyone will participate in the resurrection. It will only be those who believe and trust Jesus as their savior. There are many on the last day who will cry out Lord Lord, but Jesus will say, “I never knew you.” (see Matthew 7:21-23)

If you are not sure of your eternal destination and what life after death means for you, I would love to talk with you more and share with you God’s invitation to join him in the great marriage feast in eternity.

Another opportunity I would like to share with you is the Heaven Bible Study that will be led by Bob Fredricksen at Lord of Life on Thursdays at 1pm. You can find more information about this study in the Lord of Life Fall Connect Groups Catalog. Here is a brief summary of what the class is about:

Can we be sure that we will get to Heaven? What will Heaven really be like? Will we answer to GOD for our lives on earth? Will we see our loved ones? This 7 week study will explore these and many other questions about Heaven. Get a traveler’s guide to Heaven and new perspective regarding our lives on earth.

Indeed, heaven is for real. God’s Word is plain – there will be a resurrection! Praise Jesus!

David Book Recommendation

August 23, 2011 in David with 0 Comments

Last week I recommended Day of War to compliment our study on the life of David. This week I have another recommendation for you. The book is David: A Man of Passion & Destiny by Chuck Swindoll.

This book is not necessarily an in depth scholarly look at the life of David, but it serves to draw out some very practical applications for life. I appreciate many of the things the author had to say and will be using some of these things for the upcoming message series at Lord of Life.

For the most part this book is a chronological look at the life of David. It is hard to cover all the aspects of David’s life in just one book, but Swindoll is able to cover most all of the high points. He does a great job of helping the reader to understand the circumstances and the events of these stories. He has a skill for painting a clear picture of what is happening. I enjoyed reading this book and I bet that you will as well.

Day of War

August 20, 2011 in David with 0 Comments

I picked up Day of War off of Amazon for free a few weeks ago to read on my kindle. I notice the Kindle version is now $1.99. It is still a great bargain. I have not finished this book yet, but am about half way through. It is a historical fiction novel that chronicles the exploits of David’s mighty men.

We will be studying the life of David at Lord of Life this coming fall. If you want to do a little more reading on the subject this would be great book to check out. Not a hard read since it is a fictional work.

David Study Begins

August 17, 2011 in David, Weekly Email with 0 Comments

I shared with you two weeks back about how our fall message series would be a study of the life of David. I am excited to announce the first study guide has been posted for the first message scheduled for Sunday, September 4. Remember this is the week of our ONE worship. There will be only one worship that day at 9:15am with a church picnic to follow!

I want to encourage you to use these 5 daily readings and questions to prepare for this upcoming message. I will be posting on my blog, starting on Monday, August 28, daily thoughts on the readings along with my answers to the questions. So make sure to check in and then to check back regularly at philressler.com/david or at lolchurch.net/david.

The first David study guide will also be distributed at Lord of Life beginning this Sunday. The first study guide will be distributed for two weeks, so you will have two weeks to prepare for the first message. After that we will distribute a new study guide each Sunday to help you prepare for the next Sunday’s message. If you are unable to attend on a particular Sunday you will be able to find the next study guide online along with audio of the previous week’s message.

There is still another opportunity for you. I will be hosting a Bible Study at 6:45am each Thursday morning at Papa G’s in Elburn that will be working through the weekly study guides. I would love to have you come join me to work through the questions together and to share our insights. You can sign up by leaving a comment in this blog or by using your Connection Card on Sunday morning.

My prayer is that this will be an uplifting experience for our entire church as we journey through the life of David together. We have much we can learn from this man, both from his positive qualities and his many shortcomings. There is much more to the life of David than what many of us learned in Sunday School.

Every once in awhile I will talk about how they are not getting fed. In these situations, where is the problem? Most often the problem lies with the person doing the complaining. The more you reap the more you will harvest. The more you invest the more you will see a return. The principle applies here. Maybe the reason we fail to get much out of a 20 minute Sunday morning message is because we have failed to invest much of our time or effort into it. It is my hope to provide you some tools to help you to invest more and to get more in return.

It is also my hope that this will help all of us to engage the Scripture. I know that for some of you reading this that the Bible is a closed book for you. Yet, we believe that it is through the Scriptures that we encounter God and we come to know God. We call the Scriptures a means of grace. In other words it is through the Scriptures God speaks to us. It is only good that can come from opening up his Word. My prayer is that this new message series will be that catalyst to help you open it up.

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