We are starting our journey through the pivotal book of Deuteronomy today! Today will be mostly introductory material.
Let’s go!
Reaching the Lost. Discipling the Saved. Sharing the Love of Jesus with Everyone.
We are starting our journey through the pivotal book of Deuteronomy today! Today will be mostly introductory material.
Let’s go!
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”
Such goes the common saying.
But we know that’s not true. At all.
Words constantly hurt, in many ways.
I’m not saying we should be delicate and offended by what everyone says, but I am saying that words matter. They have meaning even beyond just what is said. They bear weight. They have lasting significance and standing.
No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
James 3:8
Our Scripture for today says that if a person does not stumble in what they say, they are perfect and that no one can tame the tongue. It reminds us that what we say stains our body and sets the course of life on fire.
That is powerful!
And scary.
And condemning.
“With [our tongues] we bless [God] and…curse people…made in [God’s image.”
That truth should disgust us and convict us.
We are held to a higher standard in what we say, how we say it, and to whom we say it. We should be lifting people up and pointing them to Jesus, not tearing them down, belittling them, and condemning them.
But it actually goes further than this.
Scripture likens calling others “fools” to breaking the commandment on murder and puts in danger of hell!
Wow!
The solution? Setting our hearts on Jesus and keep our words those of praise, of thanksgiving, of edification, of glory! Singing songs of praise with our hearts and lips! Letting the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts be expressed in our words and letting the rest wither and die.
This is not possible by us. It is only possible by, in, and through God! Left to ourselves, we will continue to slip – in heart and tongue. But living out the indwelling Lord, both will edify and uplift!
Jesus has died for our sins – all of them, including those of our imperfect tongues. May we take His forgiveness to heart, sing His praise, and lift others up in our actions and words all our days!
We have finished 2 Corinthians and next week we start Deuteronomy, meaning we have a free week to discuss items you want to!
Let’s go!
Jesus essentially called a woman a “dog,” and she didn’t disagree!
She answered [Jesus], “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
Mark 7:28
Wow!
Unfortunately, that’s focus for many in today’s reading.
But what most miss is the incredible faith of this woman – acknowledged and praised by Jesus, and the healing of her little daughter!
The Matthian account adds that Jesus said, “O woman, great is your faith!”
Jesus came first and foremost to the lost of Israel. That wasn’t this woman – or us! We are like the dogs in this story, too!
Yet what the woman received was the same thing Israel received; the same thing we receive – the Grace of God! Even crumbs of His grace is more than sufficient for us and our salvation!
There are some forms that ask for race or ethnicity. Sometimes I just put “European Mutt” to throw them off. But mutts are faithful and lovable (like me?)!
I don’t mind being a dog like the woman in today’s story. In fact, I relish even the crumbs of Grace God lets me have every day! Through faith, those crumbs are all I will ever need to supply what I need here and for life everlasting! His grace and mercy are that overflowing; that amazing; that salvific; that living!
Today we have a baptism, too. Like all baptisms, it matters not how much water is there; whether a trickle or an immersion. However much is used – like crumbs – is more than enough for all of God’s salvation Grace to cover us for life everlasting!
“Gracious Lord, thank You for Your amazing Grace shown to us each and every day; whether they be crumbs or an overflowing of baptismal waters! Grant us the desire for You all our days! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
We are at 2 CORINTHIANS 12:11ff.
Let’s go!
Our next study for our Sunday morning adult Bible class will be the book of Deuteronomy.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV)
Deuteronomy is a pivotal book in both the Torah (first five books of the Bible) as well as the entire Old Testament. It encapsulates and distills the essence of the Torah and shares many theological truths. It contains sermons, laws, and exhortations delivered by Moses to the Israelites just before his passing and the Israelite’s entry into the Promised Land. Moses motivates the people to obey the covenant legislation out of love and gratitude toward God.
Deuteronomy has themes of God’s love, justice, covenant, prophecy, and law; all essential elements in Scripture. That said, love is at the heart of Deuteronomy; God’s love for all people (and for Israel in particular), our responsive love for God, and our love for others.
The book is frequently quoted or alluded to the in New Testament. Jesus Christ himself citing it more than any of the other books of the Pentateuch.
Join us, starting September 22, 2024, as we start our journey through this exciting book!
“The things that come out of a person are what defile him.” (Mark 7:15)
That’s what Jesus said. And, boy, do a lot of defiled things come out of us!
The things that come out of a person are what defile him.
Mark 7:15
There is a phrase that was popular when I studies programming many moons ago: “GIGO!” It stands for “Garbage in. Garbage out.” If you aren’t careful with the inputs, your outputs will be of no use.
We certainly need to be cautious of what we take in: what we watch, persons we hang around with, things we read, and the like. They affect us. But it is what comes from us that is a reflection, not only of what we take in externally, but the sate of our hearts and mind, too; and those are affected most of all by how closely they are aligned with Jesus and the Scriptures.
If our heart and mind are defiled, we will output defilement, and desire to take in more defiled things! It is a vicious circle.
And the way to stop it? We need a new heart and mind. Cleansed. Focused on Him. Desiring and spewing forth His grace, His forgiveness, His righteousness, His mercy; Him!
And we can’t change our hearts and minds. We need God to do it for us. To rid us of the filth and vileness that stains and defines us and exchanged for a heart and mind that eagerly desires and pursues His heart; His mind; His will; His ways!
“Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within us. Grant that we are so desiring of You we take in that which is good, right, and proper, and radiate out all that is holy, and just, and true! In Jesus’ Name. Amen!”
We are at 2 CORINTHIANS 11ff.
Let’s go!
Last week we discussed serving the LORD, not just with words, but with actions; based on His Word and will.
This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
Mark 7:6b,7
This week has a similar message.
In our reading from Mark, Jesus chastises the Pharisees who were placing their traditions and rules over those of God’s. He quotes from Isaiah, showing the issue to be an old and oft-repeated one.
One thing that is not said, however (but often implied), is that Jesus doesn’t tell the people to ignore honoring Him with their lips. He wanted to make sure they know that their hearts were more important.
When God has our hearts, our lips of praise will follow!
We should always be away of doing something just because of tradition, or expediency, or desire. How do our actions reflect our hearts and draw us closer to Him? How can our lips better express our love and praise of God because our hearts love and service Him at their very core? How can we better honor God with our lips because, through faith and forgiveness, He already has our heart forever?
If we truly know the heart of God for us, reflected in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, how can we not want Him, with every fiber of our being, to have our hearts and lips of praise in everything?!
“Lord Jesus, we praise and thank You for Your salvation through death and resurrection. We lift You up in praise and thanksgiving with our hearts and lips – always! Amen!”
We are at 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6ff.
Let’s go!
There are many more who say they are Christians than actually are. There are many who say they believe, say they love God, say they will obey Him, say they want to live as He says to in Scripture; many more who say than do.
“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness…And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:14a, 15a-b,e
This, of course, is not new. Joshua saw this when he was dealing with the Israelites. They said they believed the LORD, but their actions belied their true beliefs. Many who said they would worship Him only, but they ended up serving other gods. Many who said the right things but did the wrong ones.
They offered lip service, not heart service.
They ‘talked-the-talk,’ but didn’t ‘walk the walk.’
They were foolish.
We see this is our day and age, too. Many who claim to follow Jesus, but denigrate others. Many who say they believe but engage in sexual immorality. Many who lift the Name of Jesus one minutes but curse by that same Name the next. Many who say they want to follow God’s ways laid out in the Bible, but take the time to even know what it says.
The Epistle tells us not to “walk as unwise but as wise” and “not to be “foolish.”
We should not repeat the mistakes of the past – or of our past!
It is time to get into His Word – and live it! It is time to put away what we feel and want and do what He says! It is time to put away our idols and choose to follow Him only!
Of course we won’t do that perfectly. Of course we will sometimes make the wrong choices. Of course we will sin.
But we should put away the laissez-faire attitude of following Him; not because it earns us salvation, but because through faith in Him we have salvation through His perfect fulfillment!
We are free to serve Him and not ourselves; not idols. We are free to follow Him even though we will mess up!
God has chosen us in Jesus! Respond in thanks, choosing to follow Him, not just in talk, but in joyful action!
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Psalm 34:8
The Old Testament lesson for today is the middle part of one of my favorite stories in Scripture.
Elijah has just proved in magnificent fashion that Yahweh is the true God and that Baal is false and following that Divine exhibition, the evil Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, threatens Elijah, and he runs far away.
God has just proved Himself to the people and His faithful servant is now afraid of a threat by a mere mortal enemy!
Quite pathetic, really.
Yet we act the same way!
Through Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the devil himself, we have victory! Complete victory! Unqualified victory! Everlasting victory!
Through faith in Jesus, we can take comfort that our enemies are defeated and any pain they inflict are temporary.
We need not every worry or fear, for our refuge is in the Almighty; the Eternal; the God of gods and Lord of lords! We can face all challenges, all heartaches, all combats as ones already settled and taken care of by God through faith in His Son!
“Thank You, Lord, for defeating all our enemies in and through Jesus! Our eternal refuge is in You!”
© 2025 LifeBridge Community Church
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑