How Do You Study The Bible - Let's Share

This is something I put together for the youth Sunday School I teach (as of recently). You can click on it to see the bigger version.

It's crazy how this all came together, it didn't start out so pretty. It was actually scribbled down in my notebook and barely readable by anyone other than me. But at the request of some of my closest brothers and sisters I decided to clean it up and post it here.

So what's the point? Well, the point for my Sunday School class was (and is) two fold.

Point #1 - Slow Down
Slow down when we read the bible. Is it just me, or does anyone else have a habit of blazing through their "study" time? Blowing through a chapter here, a chapter there, or maybe a devotional and not really (I mean REALLY) trying to understand what it is that you are reading? That's not exactly studying, is it?

Point #2 - Words have Meaning
This point really is dependent on the first. Once we slow down, things start to pop out at us. that is how the diagram above came together for me. I started to realize..."Hey, is God really Light?" Or is John telling us something else? Is there anywhere else that John uses the word for light? Hmmm.

I'm not going to get into a full study of 1-John now (but would love to if you want to discuss), mostly this post was to share a bit about how I approach studying the bible and solicit thoughts and discussion.

So, what is your approach to studying God's Word? What are some of the things that you find most difficult? Is there anything you have learned that could help others?

-W.S. (Mike)

Try It Out - The Blasphemy Bell

This is my newest "experiment", it's called the "blasphemy bell".  This idea came from several discussions with my small group about how much we have just come to accept blasphemy on T.V.  

Background:

One night after our study, we flipped on the TV to watch American Idol.  What a perfect test case.  It was the initial stages of the show and people were either told to go home or they were chosen to go to Hollywood for the next round.  Almost every single time they person made it through, they would get very excited, scream and jump for joy....and then proceed to use the name of the Lord in vain.  We started counting the number of times we heard it, and while I don't remember the exact totals, I do recall they were quite disturbing when you calculated BPM (Blasphemy Per Minute).

Enter the Blasphemy Bell.  My children have a service bell  they play with in their little toy kitchen.  I saw it one night and decided to move it out to the living room.  Now instead of counting, I just hit the bell each time I hear the Lords name used in vain.

I know what you may be thinking, "Why is he making a game out of blasphemy, it's not funny at all!"  I agree, it's not funny...and that is why I created the game.  I (and I'm sure you as well) have become so desensitized to Blasphemy in T.V. shows and movies.  Sure, if we hear someone at work, on the street, or *GASP* at church  blaspheme we all upset and say "Did you hear that?".   But on T.V.?  Nah.   That's just the way it is, right?  Wrong.

The blasphemy bell is all about sensitization, getting ourselves to listen closely to what we are actually hearing.   Sure, it's fun.  At first.  But as soon as you hit that bell 3 or 4 times I guarantee you will think to yourself, "What in the world am I doing watching this?".   Now, if you don't feel like it's a big deal to watch shows or movies that blaspheme God's name (remember the 3rd Commandment?), it's not up to me to convict you.   That's not my job.

However, it is my prayer that you won't harden your heart to what the Lord is saying in Psalm 139:20:

"For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain."

God's enemies take His name in vain.  If you want to read more, Psalm 139 goes much deeper and talks about how we are to respond to such enemies.  Even to the point of  how our heart is to be.

I leave you with this quote from Charles Spurgeon, that I read last week over at my Buddy Dawg On The Lawn's Blog:

"If the devil comes to my door with his horns visible,I will never let him in; but if he comes with his hat on as a respectable gentleman, he is at once admitted.The metaphor may be very strange, but it is quite true--many a man has taken in an evil thing, because it has been varnished and glossed over, and not apparently an evil; and he has thought in his heart, there is not much harm in it; so he has let in the little thing, and it has been like the breaking forth of water- the first drop has brought after it a torrent.  

The beginning has been but the beginning of a fearful end."

Service up.....Ding!

-W.S.

Do Your Best?

As I drove into my parking spot at work this AM, I noticed this bright green bumper sticker on the car next to me. I think it summarizes a key difference between Mormanism and true Christianity. Not only that, I think it also summarizes a key difference between modern Christianity and true Christianity.

Doing you best is not enough. (Isaiah 64:6):

"For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away"

If you just do your best, you'll still die like the rest. Our hope is in the perfect penal substitutiany atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast"

Each one of us will fail the test if we stand alone on the day of judgment.
-W.S. (mike)

Wretched Sinner Sermon Jams Now On iTunes (Podcast)

I have received a couple requests from folks who wanted an mp3 copy of the sermon jams, and/or an easy way to embed them in their site. I was already in the process of finding an easy way to distribute them anyway, and it turns out the easiest way to do it is to throw them up in a published podcast on iTunes.

So here's the deal. If you would like to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes (and automatically get updates as I create more), then you want to click here:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=305112367

If you just want to download the jams directly (or if you wish to link to them in your blog), then you will find what you need here:
http://wretchedsinner.podbean.com/


For His Glory!
-W.S.
(mike)

My New Sermon Jam - Todd Friel Sermon Jam

I've only been working on this one for a couple weeks, but I was quite surprised it came together a little faster than the last one. The sermon jam comes from Todd Friel's (from wretched radio) sermon "How do you know you are a Christian?" sermon he delivered on 1-John. The Jam just highlights the 10 point test Todd cites in 1-John. You can play it using the player below:



Or you can dowload it here in mp3 format.

Todd's original sermon can be found here if you have never heard it.

Would love your thoughts and comments on it. For His Glory.
-W.S.
(Mike)

People You Shouldn't Witness To - Really

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday. There are some people you shouldn't approach to hand a gospel tract. Even if you think you have a good idea for how to approach them.

You see, after my Dr.'s appointment I had to go to the pharmacy that is inside a local grocery store. As I walked out there was an armored car and two guards there unloading cash from the back. This is when I got this "oh so" bright idea as to how I could give them a million dollar bill tract.

As I exited the store, I started walking towards the truck. My first clue should have been the guards reaction...they stopped in their tracks (not tracts) as I approached the open truck filled with money. They just stared at me. Then, I reached into the inside pocket of my jacket (another bad idea) and they changed their posture again. I then proceeded to take out a million dollar bill and said, "Here, I think you dropped one of these." Clever, right? No...not at all.

"No I didn't, now get out of here." He replied. Whoops. My bad.
-W.S.

Get Out Of Your Own Way – Share The Gospel

There I was, at the airport on my way to St. Louis for a business trip. Sitting all by myself I had commandeered (unbeknownst to me) the only working power outlet and was charging up my gadgets. I was alone for a while, but soon the terminal started to fill up. A man sat down a few chairs away from me and tried to use the outlets below his chair. But no dice, they weren’t working. He slid down closer and tried the next set with the same result. So I offered to unplug mine so he could charge his phone. I knew this was the Lord’s doing and my opportunity to start a conversation, but I blew it and just let him plug his stuff in and slide back down to his seat.

About 30 minutes went by and I was so convicted it was driving me nuts. But as each minute passed by, the awkwardness increased and it was harder and harder to start a conversation. I couldn’t get out of my own way.

Finally, I just asked, “So, where are you headed?” Seems like such a simple question to ask in airport, doesn’t it? But to me it felt like the hardest question I’ve ever had to ask. It seemed like such an awkward and forced question. Why was it forced? It was forced because the reason I was asking him the question was to get to something. I wasn’t asking because I cared for the answer. Do you see the subtle difference? Do you see the lesson to be learned? I share the Gospel because we care, so I need to care to share the Gospel. I know I’ve learned my lesson, I pray you will learn from my mistake.

Anyway, it turns out his name was Gabriel. He was in the Army (served in Iraq), got out about a year ago and just got the call to go back to active duty and return to Iraq. He went to church “sometimes” and thought he was going to go to heaven b/c he was a good person. He heard the Gospel and it was amazing to witness once again the power of the Holy Spirit convicting him of his sin, and his need for a savior. He had never heard the Gospel like that before. I know the Lord brought us together for a reason that day, please pray for Gabriel.

-W.S.