Evidence for the Resurrection (Josh McDowell link)

As a young college student, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. He truly believed that Christianity was worthless. However, when challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity, Josh discovered compelling, overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith. After trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, Josh’s life changed dramatically as he experienced the power of God’s love. After his conversion, his plans for law school turned instead to plans to tell a doubting world about the truth of Jesus Christ. After studying at Kellogg College, Josh completed his college degree at Wheaton College and then attended Talbot Theological Seminary, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Master of Divinity degree. Well known as an articulate speaker, Josh has addressed more than 10 million young people, giving over 24,000 talks in 118 countries.

You can listen to Josh McDowell’s presentation, The Resurrection Factor here. 

A Ready Defense By Bill Wilson, comp. / Thomas Nelson Here is evidence for the Christian faith by one of its premier defenders! Topically arranged, this "best of Josh McDowell" gives you more than 60 well-reasoned arguments from creation to the virgin birth to the resurrection of Jesus and much more. Ideal for skeptics who are curious about Christianity and for Christians who want to learn how to defend their faith. 566 pages, softcover from Nelson.

Holy Week-- Day 5

Read, Thursday of the Commandment on pages 13-14 of  John Piper's, Love to the Uttermost: Devotional readings for holy week. This ebook can be downloaded for free here.                                                   Read John 13:34 

Pastor Piper explains the meaning of the title Maundy Thursday, "The name comes from the Latin mandatum, the first word in the Latin rendering of John 13:34, 'A new commandment (mandatum nouvm) I give to you, that you love one another.'"

 

What additional insights do you observe from the following New Testament mandatum nouvm to "love one another"?

 

Romans 13:8  Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Galatians 5:13  For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

1 Peter 1:22  Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

1 John 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

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Holy Week-- Day 4

Read, Why Jesus is All Trustworthy (pages 10-12).  John Piper's ebook, Love to the Uttermost: Devotional readings for holy week can be downloaded for free here.                                                   Read John 13:18-30.

Piper concludes today's devotional, "In other words, Jesus is saying, 'If you are struggling to belive that I am the promised Messiah, that I am the one who was in the beginning with God and was God (John 1:1)... then I want to help you believe. And one of the ways I am going to help you have well grounded faith is by telling you what is going to happen to me before it happens, so that when it happens, you will have good reason to believe in me." (Page 12)

 

Read John 24:13-49. Here are two examples of Jesus' disciples struggling with doubt and unbelief. How does Jesus respond to them? How is this an encouragment/challenge  to you?

 



Apologetics-- (John W. Montgomery link to Testing the Truth Claims of Christianity)

This week as I prepare the message for Easter Sunday I’m enjoying listening/reading some of my favorite Christian apologists. The English term “apologetics” is derived from apologia meaning “to give an answer.” (See 1 Peter 3:15) As a high school senior I heard Josh McDowell speak at a youth conference. It was there that I picked up information about Bible College. When I was a Bible College freshman I attended two lectures and met in person John Warwick Montgomery.

You can listen to the lecture by Dr. Montgomery, Testing the Truth Claims of Christianity, here.

JOHN WARWICK MONTGOMERY is considered by many to be the foremost living apologist for biblical Christianity. A renaissance scholar with a flair for controversy, he lives in France, England and the United States. To use C. S. Lewis's words, John Warwick Montgomery was brought over the threshold of Christian faith "kicking and struggling." In 1949 Montgomery was a student at Cornell University and drawn into conversation by Herman John Eckelmann, an engineering student. Eckelmann’s persistence succeeded in goading Montgomery into religious discussions. Montgomery, a philosophy major disinterested in religion, found himself forced to consider seriously the claims of Jesus Christ in the New Testament in order to preserve big intellectual integrity. After no mean struggle he acknowledged his rebellion against God and asked His forgiveness. Dr. Montgomery is the author of over one hundred scholarly journal articles and more than fifty books in English, French, Spanish, and German. He is internationally regarded both as a theologian (his debates with the late Bishop James Pike, death-of-God advocate Thomas Altizer, and situation-ethicist Joseph Fletcher are historic) and as a lawyer (barrister-at-law of the Middle Temple and Lincoln's Inn, England; member of the California, Virginia, Washington State, and District of Columbia Bars and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States).

Holy Week Devotional-- Day 3

Read, The Depth of Love For Us (pages 7-9). Today Pastor John unpacks four ways in which the depth of Christ’s love for us is revealed.  John Piper's ebook, Love to the Uttermost: Devotional readings for holy week can be downloaded for free here.

1). We know the depth of someone’s love for us by what it costs him. What did Christ’s love cost Him? Read Psalm 22:1-7, 12-18. This psalm is a Messianic Psalm that prophesied in advance what Christ would think and experience on the cross.

2). We know the depth of someone’s love for us by how little we deserve it. Read Romans 3:10-18 and 5:6-8. How little do we deserve His love?

3). We know the depth of someone’s love for us by the greatness of the benefits we receive in being loved. Read Psalm 103:1-13. What are some of the benefits afforded to us through Christ?

4). We know the depth of someone’s love for us by the freedom with which they love us. Read Ephesians 25-33. How has Jesus freely loved and pursued you?

 

The Easter Gift-- Video

John 20:1-10

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,  as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Acts29- Week 3 Questions for Discussion and Reflection

When Paul and Barnabas were commissioned as missionaries (Acts 13) they were given the charge, “Remember the poor”. To this Paul replied, “(this is) the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 1:10). The Gospel message is one of Good News AND Good Works. Ephesians 2:10 informs us that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. One of the reasons for Paul’s determination to travel to Jerusalem was to deliver the offering that had been collected from the churches for famine relief (Acts 20, 1 Corinthians 16:1-3).

What do the following Scriptures reveal about the relationship between the good news and good works of the gospel?

Luke 10:25-37--

John 13:35--

Acts 4:32-37; 5:12-16; 28:7-10--

1 Corinthians 15:57-16:3--

2 Corinthians 8:1-15--

Galatians 2:6-10--

Ephesians 2:8-10--

2 Thessalonians 2:8--

James 2:14-26--

How is the Holy Spirit leading you to show and tell the gospel?

Holy Week Devotional-- Day 2

Read Day Two (Monday), He Set His Face for Jerusalem in John Piper's Devotional, Love to the Uttermost.

 

Read Luke 9:51-56. Piper concludes, "Jesus, who was the very embodiment of his Father’s love for sinners, saw that the time had come and set his face to fulfill his mission: to die in Jerusalem for our sake." (Page 6)  What insights do the following Scriptures provide to Jesus’ proclamation, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This is the charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:18, ESV).

Matthew 26:53--

John 12:49; 14:31; and 15:10--

Philippians 2:7--

 

How does complementing the truth that no one, Judas, the Sanhedrin, or Pilate took Jesus' life, but that He laid it down willingly add to your worship?

Holy Week Devotional-- Day One (Palm Sunday)

When the resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed, lives change! To get my own heart ready for Easter Sunday I’m reading John Piper’s ebook, , Love to the Uttermost: Devotional readings for holy week. In the Preface editor Tony Reinke observes, “There’s nothing intrinsically holy about particular days, but for most of church history Christians have set aside eight days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday (to) solemnly focus… on the greatest events in human history, the acts of our Savior Jesus Christ.” (i) If this is your desire I invite you to join me. You can download Pastor John's ebook for your Kindle, Nook or as a PDF file for free here.

 

Early each morning I'll post a few thoughts and questions from that day's reading. If you like, feel free to share your thoughts or comments. Enjoy!

 

Day One: Palm Sunday, March 24th-- Read the Prologue: A Vision for Holy Week (pages iii-v) and Palm Sunday: Seeing the King on Palm Sunday (pages 1-3).

 

Read Matthew 12:18-21. How ought the Father's delight of His Son provoke us toward worship? What insights do you gain into the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy by Pastor John's vision of the "little lamb" (iii-iv)? How has (and will) the cross and resurrection "justice to be victorious"?

 

Read Luke 12:32. Have you ever felt the way Pastor Piper describes here? God “is basically angry—always angry. And the best we can do is stay out of his way, and maybe, if we keep the rules well enough, we could sneak by him when he is in one of his temporary good moods.” (Page 2) How does the reality that God takes “good pleasure to give you the kingdom” change your misconceptions about God? What motivation does this provide for “welcoming  King Jesus into our city and into our hearts”?

 

 

I invite you to join me in getting ready for Easter with John Piper's week-long devotional, Love To The Uttermost. As Pastor John explains, this one term — uttermost — is loaded with significance. When used of Jesus’s willing death for his friends, it means he endured unimaginable degrees of suffering to do so (John 13:1). To love to the uttermost is to love freely, without reserve or limit, and without flaw or failure. As we watch his arrest and trial and death unfold for eight days, we gaze on a God-man who begrudges no pain or reproach on his pathway to redeem lost sinners. This is the man who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”  (Philippians 2:8). This devotional ebook can be downloaded for FREE here.

Tayna Crevier at NMBC's Upward Basketball Rally

Tanya Crevier (Crev – vee – yay) was "in the house" for the Upward Basketball Rally March 19th & 20th. Tanya has traveled all over the world performing exciting and unbelievable skills with basketballs and sharing an enthusiastic message of hope in Jesus Christ. Tayna is a graduate from South Dakota State University where she is a four sport letter winner, played 3 years in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) and is an inductee into the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champions. In addition to performing at our Upwards Rally Tanya did "Spinning to Win-- Work hard and never give up" assemblies at area schools.

 

  

Acts29- Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Unlike the triumphal end to his gospel, the New Testament writer Luke ends Acts of the Apostles abruptly. There is no “The End” because the mission continues. The title Acts 29 refers to that continuing mission.

Acts 28:30 reads, “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.” It is likely that sometime during this stay Paul writes what becomes his final letter, 2 Timothy. In this letter Paul gives instructions to his protégé, the young pastor Timothy, as to how the mission ought to continue. 2 Timothy 2:2 has both a specific and general application. Specifically Timothy is given a method as to how he is to raise up and train pastors and teachers. Generally there is application in this verse for every believer. John MacArthur observes,

Every Christian has such a responsibility for any brother or sister in Christ whom he has opportunity to disciple, even briefly… In a still wider sense, every believer has a responsibility to teach God’s truth to any other believer, even one who is older and more mature in the faith. Pastors can learn from other church members, parents can learn from their children, teachers can learn from their students, wives can learn from their husbands…¹

How is this pattern of discipleship/”spiritual multiplication” observe in the following Scriptures?

Exodus 18:13-27--

Deuteronomy 6:4-9--

Proverbs 1:8-9; 2:1-8; 3:1-4--

2 Kings 2:1-22--

Acts 18:24-26--

2 Timothy 1:5--

Who are you building into spiritually? Who is building into you spiritually?  

Reflect on the spiritual characteristics of faithful, available, teachable and respect. What characteristic is the Holy Spirit leading you to grow?

TRIAL-- Acts 28:17-31 Questions for Reflection and Discussion

The book of Acts concludes with the Apostle Paul having achieved his goal of ministry in Rome. (Romans 1:11) While “under guard”, Paul is able to continue his work teaching “about the Lord Jesus Christ-- with all boldness and without hindrance!” (Acts 28:16; 31)

Three weeks into his stay at Rome Paul addressed the local Jewish leaders. He began his message by sharing with them the trials he endured in making his way to Rome, and the faithfulness of God to see him through. In Acts 28:20 Paul proclaims, “For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” The ESV Study Bible identifies the “Hope of Israel” as the “coming of the Messiah as attested by his resurrection.”  How is this them echoed throughout Paul’s testimony while on trial?

Acts 23:6--

Acts 24:15--

Acts 26:8, 23--

Read 1 Corinthians 15:42-58. How is the resurrection of Jesus the ultimate encouragement to the Christian during trial?

What additional encouragement do the follow scriptures offer?

Luke 22:28--

2 Corinthians 8:1-2--

1 Thessalonians 3:2-4--

2 Thessalonians 1:4--

1 Peter 1:6; 4:12-16--

2 Peter 2:4-9--

Revelation 3:10--

Reflect on Paul’s many trials in Acts 23-28. Despite these trials, Luke ends his account of Paul observing him as “taught about the Lord Jesus Christ-- with all boldness and without hindrance!” (Acts 28:31) How is the Holy Spirit leading you to be bold and unhindered?

My Tribute to Howard Hendricks

Today thousands of people will gather at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas to remember and thank God for the life and ministry of Howard Hendricks. Hendricks was a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary who for over sixty years passionately lived out 2 Timothy 2:2. He accepted John Walvoord's invitation to teach part-time at the seminary, not because of a desire to be a professor, but because he envisioned being able to multiply himself to equip "10 pastors." God honored his faith and by the time he retired from faculty responsibilities in 2011 he had equipped more than 10,000 pastors!



Hendricks served as the chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys from 1976 to 1984, authored 18 books and preached in over 80 countries. He encouraged many ministries such as Cru, the Navigators, FCA and Young Life.  Asked about the success of his ministry he replied, "Once a believer really gets to see what the Lord can do through him or her, at whatever stage in life, they're going to get excited about getting out there in the battle. It's all about being a servant of Christ." Read more here.

Twenty-nine years ago I was new to Christ and excited to live out my faith in high school.  I attended a student leadership weekend with the youth ministry Action-Impact. I remember being incredibly honored and anxious. Honored because I wanted to make a difference for Christ and thrilled that anyone would invite me to be a part of a leadership team. Anxious because I was timid and unsure of myself.
That weekend we listed to cassette tapes of messages by Howard Hendricks on the letters 1 and 2 Timothy. I was captivated by those messages. 

--Timothy was passionate about Christ but timid. Paul encouraged him to remember, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

--Timothy was a young man called to lead those who were older. Paul challenged, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:12 (NAS)

--Timothy was often shy and anxious. Paul caringly instructed him, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” 1 Timothy 5:23 (NIV)

I remember the details of these messages because they made such an impact on my life. I came away from that weekend convinced that God could and would use me. I met Howard Hendricks a few years later as a freshman in Bible College and had the opportunity to thank him for his messages on Timothy.