Bible Class: The Blessings of Christ Part 2
Before you begin this study read Matthew 18:21-35
Servants who have approached the master with a poor spirit, acknowledging how broken and unrighteous we are without him and mourning over the sins we have committed, will have the master bring them into his kingdom and comfort us. Only in this state can we with meekness bring our power under his control and crave the righteousness which he has promised to fill us with. What a joy for the servant who is comforted and filled, who possesses a share of the master’s present kingdom and all things on the earth becomes his.
But the question that has vexed forgiven servants for centuries is this: What do you do once you are free? What do you do with this new freedom? How do you respond to when your master has made you a co-owner in the kingdom?
Jesus not only meets us where we are… he showers us with blessings. He gives us citizenship in the kingdom and makes us rulers over the earth. How do we respond to such great mercy? (more…)
Leader Poet
The Maxwell Leadership Bible counts the leadership style in the United States since World War II. There has been an evolution of leadership styles over the past sixty years which illustrates the change in the generations and a move to more internalized and inspired followers.
1. Military Commander. Leaders returned from the war emulating the leadership styles that won the war. They implemented a top down dictatorship style influencing from their position as a leader instead of inspiration.
2. Chief Executive Officer. CEOs lead through vision, goals and objectives passed to subordinates to follow. This is a top down leadership style which depends more on execution of a strict plan than
3. Coaches. Recently, leaders have viewed themselves as coaches of a team striving together for a win. In a sports obsessed society this works well because it focuses on the teams strengths and weaknesses forms
4. Poets. Currently more leaders are realizing the power of words and the inspirational value of empowering subordinates. A leader poet knows with a properly formed message subordinates will be empowered to creatively achieve the organizations goals. See also: Motivation 3.0
…all the people hung on [Jesus’] words (Luke 19:48 NIV
Bible Class: The Blessings of Christ Part 1
Bible class audio for July 18, 2010: [audio:http://www.gregchaney.com/wordpress/audio/0718_092104.MP3]
Bible class audio for July 25, 2010
[audio:http://www.gregchaney.com/wordpress/audio/0725_091856.MP3]
1. Elephant and the Rider (monkey) from the Happiness Hypothesis Jonathan Haidt (University of Virginia psychologist)
Weakness vs Strengths
Elephant (Emotions): lazy and skittish, quick payoff over long term gain (ice cream vs thin)
Rider (Rational) : think long term, think beyond the moment, to plan
Strengths vs Weaknesses
Elephant: Compassion, sympathy and loyalty, protection instinct, love
Rider: overanalyze, over-thinks, spins wheels, mechanical, no passion
When rational thinking and emotions disagree…emotions always win.
Plato: In our heads we have a rational charioteer who has to rein in an unruly horse that “barely yields to horsewhip and goad combined”
2. Understanding the blessing of Jesus
- The first four deal with our own state of being, the second how we deal with others
- They build on each other
- Are about our heart (emotions) not our head (rational)
- Don’t look for a list of commands to follow but a way of approaching God
Tuba City Mission Trip: Day Three (Sweat Lodge)
Work continued in ernest today, I never saw one of our 76 children or adults slacking…they were all working hard for Jesus. The wood hauling crew on which most of the Merkel folks were working cleared branches and loaded wood so fast the Forest service crew working ahead of them had to work overtime to catch up. Texans can certainly work.
The wood they collect will be distributed to the Navajo most in need this winter. This act of good will builds the trust Paul needs to break barriers to spread the good news.
To better appreciate the culture we are serving everyone was given the opportunity to participate in Sweat Lodge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_lodge Sweat lodge holds important spiritual, ceremonial and purifying purposes to the Navajo. Our experience and this account in no way serves as a legitimate source for authentic sweat lodge information or the meanings and purpose behind them. I am only recounting our experience.
As we drove 20 miles out of Tuba City, 3 miles on a single lane dirt (gravel and sand) road the sun was just thinking about setting. We arrived at the sweat lodge site at an authentic hogan on a working Navajo ranch. As you will find sporadically around the Navajo nation an authentic (and well used) sweat lodge was a short walk format the back door.
Tuba City Mission Trip: Day Two (Toothbrush for Jesus)
So this mission trip is really church camp on steroids…replace craft time, nap time, and activity time with hard core work for others and you have this mission trip. The normal Bible study and devotional time is still included for growth but the real lessons are the life lesson of service.
After a slow start this morning the seventy souls on this mission where divided into work projects including building a house, re-roofing a barn, building a shed, vacation Bible school, and hauling/stockpiling firewood for use by the locals this winter.
All of these projects help Paul break down tremendous cultural barriers in the Navajo community in Tuba City. Little by little he is gaining their trust and spreading the gospel…every soul counts.
Tuba City Mission: Quotes
“God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason, to listen twice as much as you talk”
Student building a storage shed on Tuba City mission, “Is this just for more stuff?”
Tuba City Mission Trip: Day One
I can’t decide how to start this series. Possibly with a mention of a cliche’ I observed when an American Indian crossed the road in the middle of the desert holding a half empty quart and another full; or maybe I should start with a discourse on the perils of long distance travel in a small van with church youth. I really want to write about the mountain top worship the Merkel folks had on Sunday night complete with communion and a great lesson by Dustin.
The Warrior’s Dream
A lot of what we do is protect ourselves…
We get locked into out roles and then we are not as effective as we can be, because we are holding onto people and things that are stifling us…
Letting go of what we are aware no longer serves us now, and walking into the unknown, is taking the next step as a warrior…It’s about being out front…moving beyond limits…there is an innate desire in all creatures to grow…
Yet in any type of growth and change something has to end for something new to begin…
The Blessings of Jesus
Bible class audio for June 20, 2010: [audio:http://www.gregchaney.com/wordpress/audio/0620_092004.MP3]
Bible class audio for June 13, 2010: [audio:http://www.gregchaney.com/wordpress/audio/0613_091627.MP3]
We interpret the blessings of Matthew 5 through the eyes of materialistic and superficial Americans. In our modern world happy has come to mean a conscience state of a feeling well or ecstatic. If WE are happy WE feel good. I’m not doubting that if we love God and obey his command we will be internally happy, but I firmly believe the emotions Christ was trying to evoke were much deeper. Speaking to Jews he was asking them to recall familiar passages from the Torah (Deuteronomy 28) in which the Jews were brought into a state of blessedness because of their obedience. They were blessed because they were reconciled to God into the peace (Shalowm) He intended. The opposite state was cursed or separated from God.
Each beatitude pronounces the person who possesses that quality as “blessed.” We need to understand this word because, as some have rightly noted, the Greek word used by Matthew,makarios, can also be translated as “happy.” Happy, however, is not the correct translation in this context.Happinessissubjective; the same things do not always make everybody happy. And we can certainly rule out mourning as a producer of happiness. Instead, Jesus makesobjectivejudgments about the state of the citizens of God’s Kingdom. He declares, not what they feel like, but what God thinks of them. People with these qualities gain His approval. Because God thinks well of them, they are “blessed.” God’s blessing is far broader and exceedingly more important than merely being “happy.” From Ritenbaugh, John W. Forerunner “Personal” February 1999