Marriage for God's glory

I've decided that I want to start sending out a link every week with an article and/or video about marriage...so if any of you have a good link, send it to me and I'll make sure to post it! :)

Here's the one for this week:

Marriage lived for the glory of God

I know its a little long, but its a good one and definitely worth the read.

The Kingdom of Heaven

Rolling Stone

January 27, 2013

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, Part III

PARABLES: The Mustard Seed, The Leaven, The Hidden Treasure, The Pearl of Great Value

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The Mustard Seed: (Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19)    Audience: Disciples/Multitudes
    Context: after telling speaking with the multitudes, the disciples are explained the meaning of the parables, then Jesus continues with comparing the kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed
    These three passages are very similar except for one detail: Mark details the branches shooting out so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.  
    Is this an immediate occurrence?
    Why do you think Jesus meant to compare it to the mustard seed?
        -It represents the Kingdom.  Only one seed is mentioned, instead of a plot of seeds.  Just one – Jesus was One man in time. At that time the Kingdom may have appeared insignificant but will grow to manifest at the end of the Age.
    What does it take for a mustard seed to grow?
        -Ground: nutrients, water, environment for growth, sunlight, one to cultivate, protect it work is involved, for future greatness, it progresses by intentional growth takes an act of faith to plant ONE mustard seen, but if it represents the kingdom it won’t return void. The world says to plant multiples in case one does not root, but this is the kingdom…it WILL produce
    This parable speaks of the destined greatness of the kingdom, contrasting its limited (at the time) present significance in a small band of original followers with worldwide domination at Jesus’ return – a greatness that will be apparent at its consummation at the end of the Age.  
   
The Leaven: (Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20-21)    Leaven and measures. Leaven makes it better – causes bread to rise.
        -ability to spread
        -whatever it touches it affects and “saturates” it.
    The woman took the leaven, hid in 3 measures...about 2 pecks in all…of meal till it was all leavened. Significant that she allowed it to PERMEATE all parts of the meal (every corner of the dough)
    Does bread rise immediately? What happens if you bake unleavened bread?
    Why leaven/yeast? How does it work?
    This parable speaks of the Kingdom not fully being manifest, but it will be made manifest to all.

The Hidden Treasure & The Pearl of Great Value: (Matthew 13:44-46)
    These are similar parables.  Both tell of an item of great worth that is found or sought after.  The treasure was hidden but found, while the pearl was being sought after.  After being discovered, the man in question sold all of his belongings just to purchase the field/pearl.  
    These both stress the superlative value of the kingdom.  
        -something that has incredible worth.  
        -the treasure could be us – how God searches and finds us and out of great joy Jesus went to the cross to secure us for His kingdom.

Love and Forgiveness

Rolling Stone

Parables of Jesus: Love and Forgiveness

January 20, 2013

Review: Forgiveness in The Prodigal Son

The Two Debtors – Luke 7:41-43 (36-50)

Which came first: love or forgiveness? (47)

What saved the woman? What is the evidence of this? (50)

Do we believe that Jesus can forgive sin?

How can we show our faith without having a physical Jesus in our presence like the woman?

The Good Samaritan – Luke 10:29-37

“What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” What is Jesus’ answer?

“Who is my neighbor?”- Why does the lawyer ask this? What would be a better question?

How can I be a better neighbor? How does Jesus answer this question?

How do we respond to this answer?

The Unforgiving Servant – Matt 18:23-35 (21-35)

Background info: 

• ten thousand talents. In NT times, it was a unit of monetary reckoning (though not an actual coin), valued at about 6,000 drachmas, the equivalent of about 20 years’ wages for a laborer. (A common laborer earned about one denarius per day.) In approximate modern equivalents, if a laborer earns $15 per hour, at 2,000 hours per year he would earn $30,000 per year, and a talent would equal $600,000 (USD). Hence, “ten thousand talents” hyperbolically represents an incalculable debt—in today’s terms, about $6 billion.

• a hundred denarii. This was still a large amount (equivalent to about 20 weeks of common labor, or about $12,000 in today’s terms), but compared to the debt that the wicked servant himself owed ($6 billion), it was a relatively small amount.

The forgiveness of such a massive debt is a dramatic illustration of

1. the massive debt that people owe, because of their sins, to the holy, righteous God

2. their complete inability ever to pay such a debt (“For the wages of sin is death … ,” Rom. 6:23a)

3. God’s great mercy and patience (Matt. 18:26, 29) in withholding his immediate righteous judgment that all people deserve for their sins

4. God’s gracious provision of Christ’s death and resurrection to pay the debt for sins and to break the power of sin (“but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Rom. 6:23b)

The two central points of the parable are:

1. that the gift of salvation is immeasurably great (“how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” Heb. 2:3)

2. that unless a person is comparably merciful to others, (a) God’s mercy has not had a saving effect upon him (Matt. 18:32–33), and (b) he will be liable to pay the consequences himself (vv. 34–35).

January 6 ABF

Here is last week's (Jan. 6) ABF so that you can catch up if you weren't there :)

Rolling Stone

Parables of Jesus: Humility & Prayer

January 6, 2013

The Kingdom of Heaven:

The Workers in the Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-16

I. Background in Matthew

Ch 3 begins the narrative of Jesus’ ministry.

Ch3-7:29 à Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven, ending with the Sermon on the Mount – how people should live under the reign of the Almighty

Ch 8-11:1 à Ministry in Galilee, instructions to disciples for their ministry

Ch 11:2-13:52 à controversial events involving Jesus; 7 parables describing some aspect of the Kingdom of heaven coupled with necessary human response (we will get into these around Jan 27^th)

Ch 13:53-18:35 à concerns the conduct of believers within Christian fellowship

Ch19-25:26 à final journey to Jerusalem and conflict with Judaism; the last things, events/teachings pertaining to the Crucifixion, Resurrection, Commission to the church

The Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 5 – beatitudes

Poor in Spirit: recognizing spiritual poverty, denying self-dependence, seeking God’s grace

Those who mourn: including those who experience sorrow for repentance – they will be comforted

Meek:  controlled strength; humility and self-discipline

Persecution: because of loyalty to righteousness – great is your reward in heaven.

Christ Fulfills the Law – 5:17-20

            - Christ came to fulfill the law, to be preserved as He interprets it: Jot and tittle signifying small marks that distinguish letters in the Greek/Hebrew alphabet.  v20 – the Kingdom requirement is righteousness at heart – not by legalism

The Narrow Way – 7:13,14

            - Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Jesus is the way to salvation and righteousness.

Purpose of Parables – 13:10-17

            - make spiritual truths clearer to hearers; put truth in form easily remembered; avoid offense with hostile peple who would not receive the truth; declare judgment upon those who were willfully blind

            -followers of Jesus will understand or will probe for deeper understanding.  Those who have shut their eyes/ears to the truth will not realize the significance of what they are seeing and hearing, consequently will not repent and receive forgiveness.

We pick up in 19:23 that leads up to 20:1-16

1. Who is the audience?

            -Disciples; it grows out of the attitude they had toward service and rewards.  Jesus rebukes the spirit of serving for a reward itself rather than out of love

            -What is 19:23,24 saying? – trust in riches over God makes it impossible to enter heaven

            .

2. What are the points of reference?

            -Landowner: God

            -hirees: Jews, Gentiles

            -vineyard: Kingdom, the work to be done

            -days wage: Denarius, the reward

            -the Marketplace: the world

3. What is the meaning to each potential audience?

            -landowner: decides how to manage his land, the worth of a days wage, who to hire/fire

            -hirees: at the mercy of the landowner, do not own the land, awaiting for work

                        -what are their complaints?

                        -how does the landowner respond?

                        -what about those who are hired later?

                                    -what are their two states? Idle  vs hired/diligent

            -vineyard: the kingdom, the work zone, mission field, etc

            -days wage: the reward, is it out of debt? does he reward obedience and effort?

4. How can we tell this parable in our own words?       

            -parallel the reward to eternal life: those who acknowledge JC as Savior and confess sin, follow Him receive eternal life; however, ones who on their death bed who acknowledge JC as Savior and confess sin receive eternal life.  

5. How can we see the gospel/kingdom at work in this parable?

            -the hirees were handpicked…chosen

            -they had their reward coming – their inheritance, if you will

            1. Jews were called first – they had the law

            2. The gentiles heard the gospel later – they should receive the same gospel, same reward, equal privileges in the kingdom

            3. the reward is given to SAINTS, believers not by their work or the timing of their conversion (it’s not who you know) but it’s the reward of salvation

            4. We all were idle in the market, unhired, awaiting for something to happen.  Jesus came, with life and salvation and now God calls us to eternal life – he calls us out of the marketplace

           

6. How do these ideas apply to our lives/marriages?

    - Love is the theme – God’s love.  His grace.  Salvation.  It is not by our work, but by His grace.  Not by what good we do, but by the goodness of His love.  How deep can we get to this?

Love and Marriage Conference

You're Invited!!

Who? All nearly and newlyweds

What? The 11th annual Love and Marriage Weekend

Where? First Irving

When? Friday February 8th (6:30-8pm) AND Saturday February 9th (8:15am-12:15pm)

Why? To gain wisdom, get encouragement, and learn Biblical truths about marriage

The cost for the entire weekend is only $30 per couple. This covers two meals, childcare, and marriage enrichment!

*If you are getting married (or know a couple who is), this weekend also gives you a voucher for $60 off of the Texas marriage license fee.

Make sure to be praying about inviting someone that you know could use encouragement in their marriage- this is such a great opportunity!

Go here to register and find out more.

The Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Prodigal Son

I want to start by apologizing that things on here haven't been updated as regularly as I would like lately, but with 2 broken computers and traveling for the holidays, its been more difficult to get things posted! I promise that I will do better from now on :)

Here are the notes from ABF today!

Rolling Stone

January 13, 2013

Parables – The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son

The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin – Matthew 18:10-14; Luke 15:3-10

·         Audience – Pharisees and scribes, tax collectors and sinners

·         Context – this parable is given by Christ in response to the Pharisees grumbling and complaint about Jesus’ time spent and meals shared with tax collectors and sinners. 

·         These stories are identical.  There is a precious coin or a single lamb that has been lost from among the others.  As a result, the shepherd and the woman go in search of it, and when they find it, they rejoice!

·         Jesus shares this parable to describe the response that is experienced by the angels in heaven over one lost sinner who repents.  There is great joy in heaven when what has been lost is found. 

·         I love that his words are “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  Knowing his target audience is the Pharisees, what could this have meant to them?

o        Isaiah 64:5-8

o        Psalm 51:16-17

The Prodigal Son – Luke 15:11-32

·         Same audience and context.

·         Two Sons:

o        Younger – takes his share of the property and squanders it in reckless living.

o        Older – faithfully serves the father and obeys all that he commands

·         The younger son reaches the end of himself in verse 16.  At this point he realizes his wrong and decides to return to his father and repent of his sin. 

·         Notice the incredibly gracious and merciful response from the Father:

o        Saw him and felt compassion

o        Ran to where he was, met him on the path, and embraced him

o        Put the best robe on him, a ring on his head, shoes on his feet

o        Prepared the fattened calf and celebrated

o        Read Zechariah 3:1-5

·         The response of the older son:

o        Angry and refused to go in to celebrate

o        His pride and hope was in the things HE HAD DONE for the father, not in the father himself

o        He felt deserving of and entitled to a greater reward than the younger son.  Sound familiar to the parable of the laborers in the vineyard?

o        We need to always remember that our works are not our hope for salvation.  When compared with Christ’s standard of perfection and holiness, our best day is “filthy garments.”  Sacrifices he desires not, but a broken and contrite heart, he will not despise. 

Let’s close by reading Isaiah 53.

Discussion:

1.       Which son are you?  Do you find yourself struggling with the same thing the older son did?

2.       Seeing the father’s response of grace and forgiveness, and even restoration to the younger son’s repentance is a great encouragement for us.  What implications does this have for us in our marriages when we face marital conflict or one or both spouses exhibits selfishness?

3.       What did the younger son have to do to earn his father’s affection?  What does this mean to you?  Hebrews 4:14-16

Luke 16:1-18

Here is the lesson from ABF this past Sunday, which was the last ABF before the new year! I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far :) God bless!

The Parables of Jesus

December 16, 2012

Rolling Stones

Parable of the Shrewd Manager – Luke 16:1-18

·         Vs. 8 – the master “commended” the dishonest manager because he had acted “Shrewdly.”

o   Shrewd – good at judging people or situations: showing or possessing intelligence, insight, and sound judgment, especially in business or politics; clever and accurate, crafty, tricky, disposed to artful and cunning practices, Characterized by keen awareness, sharp intelligence, and often a sense of the practical.

o   It is obvious why the dishonest manager’s actions in this parable would gain the favor of the debtors, but why the master?  In Christ’s day, it would have been forbidden in the Law to loan out money at interest, so many people got around this by overcharging for goods and services.  It is likely that this dishonest manager had dealt unfairly with the master’s debtors, and thus earned his favor when he corrected this injustice.

·         Vs. 9 – Use “worldly wealth” to gain “friends” for yourselves, so that when it is “gone”, you will be welcomed into “eternal” dwellings.

o   Verse 8 stated that nonbelievers are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than believers are.  In other words, they know how to use their position, authority, and resources to gain influence and favor from others.  If nonbelievers do this in a worldly context, we should be doing this to gain eternal treasure.  Do not confuse this by thinking you must use your worldly position, authority, and influence to gain favor or salvation from God, as this is a free gift of grace received through faith in Christ.  We should, however, use the things we have been entrusted with (time, resources, money, possessions) to gain rewards and treasures in heaven. 

§  I love that Christ uses the image of a master and a manager in this parable.  God is the master in this story; He is above all and in all, and everything that has been made has been made by Him, through Him, and for Him.  We are simply the managers of that which he has entrusted to us.  We are to deal shrewdly with the things given to us in this world, and use them to gain reward in heaven.

o   “He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”  - Jim Elliott

·         Vs. 10 -11 – Be faithful with little things, and you can be trusted with larger things.  We ought to be people that are marked with integrity in everything, both large and small.  What areas of your life may be lacking integrity? 

o   The cause of compromise often exists in financial gain.

·         Vs. 13 – You cannot serve both God and Money.

o   This is straight out of the commentary in my Life Application Bible.  I thought it was very good: “Money can easily take God’s place in your life.  It can become your master.  How can you tell if you are a slave to money?  Ask yourself: Do I think and worry about it frequently?  Do I give up doing what I should do or would like to do in order to make more money?  Do I spend a great deal of time caring for my possessions?  Is it hard for me to give money away?  Am I in debt?”

·         Vs. 14 – 15 – What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.

o   “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

o   The Pharisees did things with their money in order to be seen by others and praised for it.  They did not do the things they did out of a heart to honor and glorify God.  Understand that everything you have has been given by God and to be used for his purposes and His glory.

Parable of the Rich Man and the Beggar

·         The Pharisees believed, like many in our culture today, that material wealth was a sign of God’s approval or favor.  This is the prosperity gospel.   This parable would have been a shock to them as the man who was rich was cursed and the man who was a beggar was rewarded.  

·         Notice that it had nothing to do with the fact that the rich man was rich, but everything to do with the way he used his wealth.  The passage says that the man lived in luxury everyday while a man stood at his gate and waited for scraps from the rich man’s table.  The rich man acted selfishly and hardheartedly, and did not repent or care for the poor as Jesus commanded. 

·         I think it’s ironic that the man’s name in this parable was Lazarus.  This is not the same Lazarus that was raised from the dead by Christ, but the story of the parable involves him appearing to the rich man’s brothers after he died.

What I think is profound about these parables is that they are not really about the money itself, but the attitude of the heart toward the money and possessions that these men were entrusted with.  I think this should be a big eye opener for all of us.  As Americans, we are some of the most blessed and wealthy people in the world.  We need to take seriously God’s Word, and submit to the commands He has given us in the Scriptures.  Do not allow God’s blessing to terminate on yourself, but be good stewards of what He has entrusted you with, and deal selflessly with those around you, caring for the poor, the orphans, and the widows.  In closing, I’d like to read Philippians 3:7-14.

Discussion:

1.       Is it bad to have a lot of money or to have nice things?  Read 1 Timothy 5:8 and 1 John 2:15-17.  What is the balance in making sure we are providing well for our families and having a love for the things of this world? 

2.       What are some sources of accountability we can implement to make sure we do not get caught up in money, possessions, or the desires of this world? 

Party!

This is just reminder that tomorrow morning will be our last ABF until 2013 (so sad)! Come join us and bring some food to share with the class if you want! I apologize that I did not write the list down so I'm not sure who signed up to bring what, but hopefully you can remember what you're bringing :) 

Then at 2:30, we will all go to the Ledbetter's home to celebrate Christmas together. Bring your favorite finger foods and join us for a ton of fun. There will be a white elephant gift exchange, so for those who want to participate, bring a $5 gift for each spouse. We'll have one exchange for the girls and one for the guys. 

If you have any questions, let me know. Hope you can make it to one or the other tomorrow!

The Two Sons and The Talents

Hey everyone! Here is the lesson from this past week if you were unable to be with us. Don't forget that along with studying the lesson from ABF you can also listen to Pastor John's sermon online if you miss it! Hope you all have had a great week so far.

Rolling Stone
Parables of Jesus: The Two Sons & The Talents
11/25/2012

The Two Sons - Matthew 21:28-32

Background info: This was Jesus’ final week before the cross.  The Pharisees were a group of religious people that were constantly questioning His authority and challenging Christ with the law.  They were religious on the outside, but their hearts were prideful and far from Him.  Read Matthew 21:23-27.  Why didn’t Jesus answer their question?  What would have happened if Jesus said his authority came from God?  What would have happened if Jesus said his authority came from men?

1. What are the points of reference?The Father
The Two Sons

2. Who was the audience (21:45)?  The Pharisees and religious leaders

3. What is the meaning to each potential audience?The meaning was that they were not repenting of their own self-righteousness and believing that Jesus was the Son of God.  God’s will for them was to repent of their sins in their heart, not just in an outward display, but a repentance of the heart.  God is not interested in what we say or do on the outside.  He wants to be our greatest affection/heart’s desire.  The tax collectors and the prostitutes were truly repenting in their hearts, which was what the Father wanted.  The Pharisees were saying they wanted to obey God, but were being disobedient in their failure to repent and turn to Him.
Reference to John the Baptist.  Read Matthew 3:7-10.  God’s desire was not that they would be saved and obtain their righteousness from the law.  His desire was that they would bear fruit “in keeping with repentance.” 

4. How can we tell this parable in our own words?
5. How can we see the gospel/kingdom in this parable? The Gospel is clearly portrayed in this parable as Jesus talks about the will of the Father.  His will is that we would repent and turn to Him for salvation.  He does not expect us to “clean up” or “get it together” before we come to Him.  He will save us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Don’t just “talk the talk,” but truly turn to Jesus in your hearts.
The Kingdom will be full of people that love Jesus and trust in the Lord for salvation.  Not full of prideful, religious people who look good on the outside. 
6.  How do these ideas apply to our lives and/or marriages?We need to understand that our righteousness comes from God as a gift.  It is not something we earn or work for on our own merit.  It is a gift from God.  We need to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.  Remember that there is nothing good inside of you.  You are totally depraved.  The only thing good in us is Christ.  Even good things we do, without Christ, are meant for our own glory and self-righteousness, which is sin.  God deserves all the glory for anything and everything we do.  He alone is good and deserving of praise.  Repent often.
This applies in our marriages as well.  Own what you can own, and even more.  Repent of the things that need to be repented of, and allow Christ to transform your heart.  Don’t try to “work it out” on your own.  Allow Christ to rule your hearts and He will transform you into the Godly husband and wife He wills you to be.  And when you fall short, repent.

The Talents - Matthew 25: 14-30

Background: Read the subtitles in Ch. 22-23.  Read Matthew 24:26-51.  Jesus tells a parable about the ten bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-13, which is about the kingdom of heaven.  Ch.25:14 beings with “Again, it will be like…” which means that this parable is about the kingdom of heaven, specifically with relation to remaining watchful.

1. What are the points of reference?Man going on a journey
The Servants
The Master’s property (talents)

2. Who was the audience (Ch24:3)?Jesus’ disciples

3. What is the meaning to each potential audience?It’s not what the Master has given, but what the servants do with what has been given that counts.
They have been entrusted with the Master’s property.  The will of God is that they would use what they have been given to bear fruit and to be good stewards of what they’ve been given. 
Keep the focus on the response of the master when he returns.  Do not be lazy or self-serving or ignore the will of the Master. 

4. How can we tell this parable in our own words?
5. How can we see the gospel/kingdom in this parable? This parable is about the kingdom of God.  The whole purpose of the parable is to illustrate the importance of stewarding well what God has entrusted to us as His servants.  We are not to be lazy and squander what God has entrusted us with, or allow those things to terminate on us.  We need to put our gifts, time, money, and talents to work in order to bear fruit for the kingdom of God.
This parable has eternal significance.  The response of the Master to the first two servants who dealt faithfully with what they had been given were entrusted with even more in the Kingdom of God.  The servant who was lazy and squandered what the master had given him was left with nothing and was cast into an eternity separated from the presence of the Lord. 

6.  How do these ideas apply to our lives and/or marriages?This idea is transformational!  Everything we own, our money, time, talents, gifts, spouses, children; all of these things have been given to us and entrusted to us by the Lord.  We are called to steward them well!

Happy Thanksgiving!

source

  Psalm 136:26 "Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever."

I hope that while eating turkey and spending the day with family and friends, you take time out of your day to thank God for what He has done, and continues to do, in your life.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Side note: Not to be cheesy, but I also want to say that Cory and I are so thankful for each of you and the impact you've already made on our lives. We're so thankful that God led us to the Rolling Stones! :)



Romans 8:28

This past Sunday, Daniel did an awesome job leading our class! We got to learn about Romans 8:28 and its context. Here are the notes if you weren't there! I hope you're all having a great week so far.

Rolling Stone – Favorite Verses

Romans 8:28 (26-30)

November 11, 2012

Author: Paul, from Corinth, preparing to visit Jerusalem

When: 56-57 AD, written near the end of his 3^rd Missionary Journey; this is a mature statement of his understanding of the gospel.

Theme: God is perfectly righteous; man is sinful.  Through faith in Jesus Christ the believer is justified and has practical applications in living a righteous life.

Context: 1:18-3:20 - All have sinned

3:21-5:21 - Justification is through faith alone

6:1-8:39 - Practicing Righteousness in the Christian life

9:1-11:36 - God and Israel

12:1-15:13 - Practical Application

15:14-33 - Paul’s situation

Chapter 8

1-17 - Fulfill God’s righteousness by living in the power of the Spirit and according to the Spirit

18-25 - Longing for complete redemption

26-39 - Help and assurance in hardship

Identity Crisis?  Who are you?

1. Sons and daughters – led by the Spirit (v14), adoption (v15), The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (v16)…joint heirs if we suffer with Him, glorified together (v17).

2. We will suffer.  

-Present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory we will receive. 

-We have the first fruits of the Spirit, eagerly waiting for the adoption, redemption of our body  the future glory!  

-We are subject to suffering, pain, sin, and struggles.  

-We hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance, the future glory. 

Anyone felt like their prayer life is in the dumps?  

Help – translated: to take hold of together; co-operate.  1 Corinthians 2:12   

Romans 8:28 “…and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose…”

Work together - James 2:18-22   

“Sunergeo” – From “sun” together and “ergeo”to work, to cooperate, help, collaborate

It’s a synergistic harmony between vertical faith in God and horizontal works to a needy world.

…”to those who love God…”

What does it take to love God?  Can we get the same benefit if we just believe in Him? 

Believing or knowing about God qualifies you for 2 positions: a Pharisee and a demon

James 2:19

John 7:15-31.  

Where is the line defining how when we believe in Jesus that we will have rivers of living water flowing forth?         John 7:37-39; John 14:21; John 15:7-17 

He works all things for good to those are love God, who abide in Him, who know and keep His commandments, who are His sheep, His followers, His disciples.  

Good - Phil 1:6

“Agathos” – good in a physical and moral sense produces benefit; use of persons, things, acts, condition.  Synonym is “Kalos” – good in an aesthetic sense, suggesting attractiveness, excellence.  God will make all things excellent and beneficial. 

Purpose - 2 Timothy 1:8-12.  

“Prothesis” – “Pro” before, “thesis” place – a setting forth, a deliberate advanced plan intention and design.  

What is His purpose then? 

Romans 8:29-30 

2 Cor 3:17-18  We are reflecting what we behold, continuing toward that moment where we behold the Glory of the Lord

2 Timothy 2:19

John 10:14, 27-30; Psalm 139

Called – “Kaleo” – to invite, summon. But to be invited, you have to once NOT be invited... 

Romans 9:24-25 “…there they shall be called sons of the living God.” 

Romans 8:14, 16 “…as many were led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

Justified – “Dikaioo” acquit, declared righteous, shown to be righteous. 

1 Cor 6:9-11

Glorified

1 John 3:2 and Phil 3:20-21

As looking into glory in a mirror, we shall be like Him, conformed to His glorious body. 

God WILL work all things together for the good of those who love His, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  As Christians we are predestined to receive a glorious future destiny – conformed to the image of Jesus.  If we choose salvation we are predestined for GLORY.