tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47200618417779381702024-02-20T01:08:46.686-08:00First Baptist Church BeggsFirst Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-32485241371430866292012-01-24T12:46:00.000-08:002012-01-24T12:46:35.505-08:00Podcast Now AvailableThe sermon from Sunday morning titled "Life in Christ: The World and the Believer [pt 2]" covering John 15:18-16:4a in now available on our podcast.<br />
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<a href="http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/">http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/</a>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-48238475398447177482012-01-21T21:18:00.000-08:002012-01-21T21:18:17.975-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Jan. 23rd – Jan. 28th)Monday – John 15.18-16.4a<br />
Meditation: Much of our daily Bible reading this week will be similar to last weeks, because my “grave sickness” forced me to only preach half of my sermon. This week we focused on the text’s message of our relationship with the world. What will the world think of the Christian? The Bible’s answer: the world will hate the Christian. Are you ready for the world to hate you? What if that hatred carried with it greater blessing than this world could ever promise?<br />
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Tuesday – John 15.18-16.4a; John 3.19-20; Gal. 6.14; Romans 6.5-11<br />
Meditation: The world is going to hate us. At least it should. Christ warns us that if we abide in the vine like he calls us to, we should not expect the world to roll out the red carpet and slather us with encouragement. The world will instead despise us. Why? Because our lives will shine into their sin and expose them. The result: they will hate, reject, despise, and want to kill us. Are you ready for that response? Do you love Christ enough to stand with him even if that means the rejection of some of the people you might genuinely love? The odd reality is that if we really love the lost in the world, standing apart from them is exactly what they need. Don’t blunt the edge of the gospel sword. Kill your friends, your family members with the gospel. Because trust me, Jesus says, they are trying to kill you.<br />
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Wednesday – John 15.18-16.4a; Acts 5.41-42; Rom. 5.1-5; 1 Pet. 4.12-14<br />
Meditation: “You are surrounded by billions of people who hate you and will want to kill you. Hope things go okay. I’ll see you in heaven. Later, Jesus.” Jesus farewell message to his disciples sounds like anything but a pep rally. Yet encouraging them is exactly what he says he is trying to do. How? Is he wanting us to just accept that suffering is somehow good? Yes. Again, how? Jesus and the rest of the NT encourages us that our persecution will be used by God to bless us – it will show us that Jesus knew what was coming, it will encourage us that we are a part of his people, and God will use the world’s hatred to draw us closer to himself and further from the world enticements. If you are anything like me, these don’t sound like random blessings, these sound like some of the most heartfelt desires I have for my life. Suffering is not purposeless or outside of God’s control, he is using it for our good. We can rest in that.<br />
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Thursday – John 16.1-4a; 1 John 2.17<br />
Meditation: Are we losing this war? Will Christianity fall by the wayside as morality seems to continually plummet? Is our hope in the power of the gospel lost? The answer, Jesus tells us, is no. The world might seem at times to be winning the battle, but Jesus is clear: this is only their “hour”. Christ is not seeking fifteen minutes of fame, he knows that eternity is his. Even if the world does go to hell in a hand basket, Jesus knows that even hell itself cannot prevail against his kingdom. Do you believe that? Is your life one of fighting against moral degradation because you know the gospel wins? We must fight. Christ has/does win.<br />
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Friday and Saturday– John 15.1-16.4<br />
Meditation: What does your life look like? What does the world see when they look at you? Do they see Christ or do they see just a version of themselves? This whole chapter Jesus has taught us that must abide in the vine and if we do, the world will notice. Are you abiding?First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-5593061726758092432012-01-14T11:55:00.001-08:002012-01-14T11:55:28.393-08:00Announcements (Jan 16-22)<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Is there such a thing as "Truth" anymore?....sign up for "The Truth Project" (a small group study) on the biblical answers for a questioning world.</span><br />
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</span>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-24637696027620767692012-01-14T11:54:00.000-08:002012-01-14T11:54:37.248-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Jan. 16th – Jan. 21st)Monday – John 15.18-16.4a<br />
Meditation: What kind of life should we expect as Christians? We live in the midst of a lost world and wait for a hope that is yet to come. Are our hopes wrongly placed? What if we’re wrong about what God wants from us? Can we trust Jesus? Are we alone in our struggles? These questions have plagued the church, and, in this chapter, Jesus himself will answer our doubts. Pray that your faith would be strengthened by the words of your Savior this week.<br />
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Tuesday – John 15.18-25, 16.1-4a; John 3.19-20; John 7.7<br />
Meditation: What response should the Christian expect from the world? The same response Jesus himself received: HATE. The world will hate us, Jesus says, because it hated him, because we are not a part of it anymore, and because it hates the Father. It will hate us even without reason. As Christians, we will always have a tenuous position with the world, because we show love to the world by showing it how broken it is. No one likes to be told their wrong and the wayward sinner is the ultimate example of that truth. Jesus warns us, “the world won’t like you. It won’t be able to stand you.” Are you ready for this response from those you love, those who need to hear the truth? You better be for their sake and yours.<br />
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Wednesday – John 15.18-27; 1 Cor. 2.14; Ezek. 36.26-27; Ezek. 37.13-14<br />
Meditation: We are in a battle for the truth. We know the truth and yet the world is blind, deaf, and dumb to it. It hears from the Father and yet kills the messenger. It sees the works and yet hates the worker. And they will hate us without reason if they must. The things of God are unknowable to their dead hearts. So what must we do? We must not lose hope. We can rest in that we are resting in the Truth no matter what the world says. And we can share the gospel knowing that the Spirit who changes dead hearts is exactly the one who testifies with us. Do you have confidence because of Christ to face the world? How about to share the gospel with that family member or friend who needs to hear it? Will you?<br />
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Thursday – John 16.1-4a; 1 John 2.17<br />
Meditation: Persecution is promised to the Christian but what is also promised is that that persecution will last for only an hour. It may seem like the world and its morals have conquered the kingdom of God but that is not the truth. Christ’s kingdom will advance. They may win the hour, but rest assured we are promised the eternity. Is that your hope?<br />
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Friday – John 15.20<br />
Meditation: One verse today and it’s meant to draw us to consider our own lives. How foreign does this verse sound to you? Are we having to turn discomforts into persecutions, mockery into martyrdom? Why does the American Christian see little of the persecution that Christ promises in this passage will come? Is it because God has blessed us with peace? Then take advantage of that peace and share gospel during this blessed time. Or is it because when the world sees us, they don’t see Christ? Does the world love you, because, when they see you, they see themselves? Or does it hate you, because, when they see you, they see Jesus? If you’re like me, what frightens you more than persecution might just be your answer to that question.<br />
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Saturday – John 16.4b-33First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-29270489391497859492012-01-10T16:34:00.000-08:002012-01-10T16:34:18.341-08:00Podcast Now AvailablePodcasts for this Sunday's sermons are now available!<br />
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Life In Christ: Love and the True Believer (John 15:12-17)<br />
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<a href="http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/" style="background-color: #aedce9; color: #ff7312; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com</a>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-24413878084999396172012-01-10T16:32:00.000-08:002012-01-10T16:32:17.576-08:00Announcements (Jan 8-15)<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Join us Sun nights @ 5pm - "Jars of Clay/Vessels of Honor - How God uses ordinary people for his glory"</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Sun nights @ 6pm - Book club: Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan</div><div id="yui_3_2_0_1_132624188028097" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Monday nights - BASKETBALL! Schedule coming soon</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Jan 17th - Women's Fellowship---- Hostess needed</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">starts at 6pm - potluck supper</div>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-21003478702725891692012-01-07T15:36:00.001-08:002012-01-07T15:36:39.016-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Jan. 9th – Jan. 14th)Monday – John 15.1-17<br />
Meditation: The life of the believer is a life totally found in Christ alone. He is our salvation, the foundation of our hope, he is the source of our life. He is the vine, we are the branches. To live, we must abide in him. Jesus tells us of the great joy that comes to those who abide in him and thus abide in his love. We surely want to abide in his love, so what must our lives look like? As we answer that question this week, pray that you would abide in him and in his love. That Christ would be your life and your joy. What an earnest prayer. Isn’t it?<br />
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Tuesday – John 15.12-13; 1 John 3.10-18<br />
Meditation: Christ commands us “That you love one another as I have loved you.” What a simple and yet deeply difficult command? In our world, we are often taught to seek our own good first. To try and get our way. To speak our mind. Because after all we must be true to ourselves. We are saturated with a “me first” world. Here and in 1 John, God warns us that that attitude will kill us. To abide in the vine, we must love each other to the point of being willingly to lay down our lives for one another? Is that how you love the others in our church? It must be. We cannot survive and you are not abiding in Christ if it is not. Pray that God would work in your heart this love that he commands.<br />
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Wednesday – John 15.14; John 15.10; 1 John 3.6-10; 2 John 8-9<br />
Meditation: Not everyone is Jesus’ friend, but only those who keep his commands. He is not saying that keeping his commands is what makes us his friend, but rather that we obey him because we are his friends. It is simply what we do if we are abiding in him. As fruit comes naturally from the vine, so obedience comes naturally from Christ’s friends. So the question this verse begs is “Do you keep his commands? Are you living like one who is a friend of Christ?” Pray that this week you would live like a friend not of the world but of Christ.<br />
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Thursday – John 15.15; Romans 10.17; 2 Timothy 3.14-16; Nehemiah 8.8,12<br />
Meditation: The blessing of knowing God’s word is a gift meant to be cherished by Christ’s friends. Believers have been told by Christ the will and word of God. What a blessing! How essential is this word? The entirety of the Christian life is said to revolve around this blessing of his word. It is his word that leads us to salvation. Making clear his word is the job of those called to lead the church. The Holy Spirit is sent to teach and remind us of that word. The word of God is a gift like nothing else. If we understand our lives as his friends, then we will cherish that word - that word that is a testimony to our friendship…to our salvation.<br />
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Friday – John 15.16; Ephesians 1.4; Ephesians 2.8-9<br />
Meditation: How easy it would be to be puffed up after reading this passage. We are the “friends of Jesus”. Yet God is quick as always to remind us that we are his friends, not because we chose him but because he chose us. What great humility there is in our salvation? Enemies made his children, children of the devil made friends of Christ. Rejoice in your salvation this week. And when you do, you will be rejoicing not in yourself but in God through Christ - in the vine who gives life to the branches.<br />
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Saturday – John 15.12-17First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-35967611242024970902012-01-04T14:55:00.000-08:002012-01-04T14:55:03.284-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Jan. 2nd – Jan. 7th)Monday – John 15.1-11<br />
Meditation: What will the life of the believer look like? As Jesus prepares to go away, that is exactly what he talks to his disciples about. This week we will look at how vital our relationship to Christ is for our spiritual life. Without him, we are nothing more than dead branches that are to be thrown in the fire. Could you say you abide in Christ? As we read and review what Jesus is saying, ask yourself everyday this week, “Is my life lived in Christ?”<br />
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Tuesday – John 15.1-11; 2 Corinthians 12.9; 2 Corinthians 10.17<br />
Meditation: The main point of this passage is that Jesus alone is our life. With Jesus, we live and bear fruit. Without him we are withered branches, dead and lifeless. We live in a world that believes there are so many talismans that can fix our relationship with God: going to church, praying, being a good person. But none of these can actually bring us life. Jesus is the vine, our source of life, and as branches if we are going to prove ourselves to truly be his disciples then we must abide in him. There is humility here as well as Jesus reminds us that without him it’s not that we can only do little things. Without him, we can do nothing. Ask God to show you if that is how you are living.<br />
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Wednesday – John 15.1-3; 2 Timothy 3.16-17<br />
Meditation: One of the roles of the vinedresser is to clean/prune the vines so that they are the most healthy and are able to produce the most fruit. The tool he uses: the word of God. The Bible is God’s tool to lop off sin in our hearts and to cause our hearts to produce an abundance of godly fruit. If you and I seriously want to get rid of sin, want our temptations pruned off and gone, then we must be fervent in the word. It is God’s word that he uses to mortify sin in our lives and lead us to greater growth. John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” As branches we kill sin by the power of God that rests in his word.<br />
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Thursday – John 15.8; Ephesians 2.1-10<br />
Meditation: Who am I seeking to glorify with my life? I don’t know about you but Jerry’s sermon on that very question in John 14 really struck me. So I asked myself, “How can I glorify God?” Well, here God gives us an answer. We glorify God when we bear fruit and prove ourselves to be his disciples. If someone told you they could bring the dead to life, you’d probably scoff at their ridiculous claim. But if people started coming out of their graves you would marvel that they were telling the truth. That is what our fruit does. It shows all creation that our God can do the impossible: give life to dead hearts. The proof: our fruit. What does your life testify? Are you bringing glory to God by the fruit in your life?<br />
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Friday – John 15.1-11; Psalm 37.4<br />
Meditation: Farming is a difficult and tedious job. And our need to grow fruit of the Spirit might seem like a burden, an objective that we must sacrifice the happiness of our lives to achieve. Yet Jesus wants us to know that nothing could be further from the truth. Life in the vine, cared for and pruned by the vinedresser, is the only life of real joy. The Christian that bears fruit is sacrificing nothing and will end up gaining everything.<br />
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Saturday – John 15.12-17First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-54435417558106072842011-12-26T12:16:00.000-08:002011-12-26T12:16:14.407-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Dec. 26th – Dec. 31st)Monday – Luke 1.26-38; Matthew 1.18-23; Luke 2.22-35<br />
Meditation: What is Christmas about? Why is it such an important day? What are we supposed to think about or rejoice in in the midst of all our festivities? Well, on the first Christmas, God made sure we knew exactly why this was going to be such a blessed time. We’ll look this week at why God says the child Jesus is going to be so important that we would celebrate his birth unlike any other birth in human history.<br />
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Tuesday – Luke 1.26-38<br />
Meditation: Jesus is the sinless Son of God. We are just the opposite - neither sinless nor naturally his children. The wickedness of the human heart has separated us from God and his will. The amazing thing about Christmas is that God sends his own son to purchase our pardon and to make us his children. Jesus comes as the forever king, the one who will reign in a righteousness that we could never have. This isn’t just a child in a manger bed; this is the son of God come to take on his reign over all the earth. Does he reign in your heart?<br />
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Wednesday – Matthew 1.18-23<br />
Meditation: Jesus is our savior. We must understand: our sins have brought us death. They have separated us from God. That is why the angels shout with such joy that there is being born a Savior. It is Jesus who will bring us peace. Not just peace from war, or peace about who we are, he brings peace between ourselves and God. He removes the guilt of sin and replaces it with a salvation. Think this Christmas about how different your life would be if you were still dead in your sin, blind to the truth. You still would be - were it not for Jesus who brings us a salvation we should never have known.<br />
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Thursday – Luke 2.22-35<br />
Meditation: Jesus is our death and our life. Simeon rejoices when he sees Jesus because he knows this child is the “consolation of Israel”. Burdened by sin, guilty before God, you and I trudge along a path of destruction. Without hope and without God. Jesus was sent to fix that. But the fix comes not with our praise or encouragement, but with our death. The baby in the manger carries in his right hand a sword able to break the sin-crusted rock of our hearts and kill the old us. Yet the amazing thing about the work of God is that it is that death that brings us life. He is our consolation, our peace, our hope. Jesus is our salvation. Remember this week, you don’t celebrate a baby there to coo and bring joy, you celebrate the Son of God who comes to kill you…that you might truly live.<br />
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Friday – Luke 1.26-38; Matthew 1.18-23; Luke 2.22-35<br />
Meditation: What is the content of your Christmas? Why are we to be so excited at the birth of Jesus? God has shown us exactly why: Jesus changes everything. God tells us in Luke 2.35 that Jesus reveals our hearts. What does he reveal about you? Are you alive? Praise God for Christ who made you what you shouldn’t be. Is your heart still dead? You see the Savior there. Know his story and his name, why don’t you find out about his purpose, his mission, his salvation. That’s what this baby in the manger is bringing to sinners just like you and me.<br />
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Saturday – Luke 2.1-52First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-63391450254100942842011-12-20T07:24:00.001-08:002011-12-20T07:24:54.867-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Dec. 19th – Dec. 24th)Monday – Luke 1.5-44; Luke 2.22-38; Matthew 2.1-12<br />
Meditation: How is a Christian supposed to prepare for Christmas? It’s a special time in the life of the Christian, a time where we celebrate the birth of our Savior. What is that supposed to look like? This week, we’ll take a look at how the Bible describes the expectations of the first Christmas. We will try and capture those same expectations to make sure that our Christmas time is one filled with praise of God in Christ.<br />
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Tuesday – Luke 1.5-44<br />
Meditation: Christmas is a time of great rejoicing and it is appropriate for the Christian home to be a place of celebration during the Christmas season. Yet the rejoicing and praise in the Christmas story is always centered on a central truth: the coming of the Savior. We must be careful that we don’t just fill our houses with joy, but rather joy with a focus, a foundation – Jesus Christ. How joyous is your house during the Christmas season? Is that joy centered around gifts and family and fun or is it built on a foundation of the coming of Christ. Good Christian men and women rejoice, but rejoice in a way that rest of the world can mimic but never duplicate – a rejoicing centered on Jesus.<br />
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Wednesday – Luke 2.22-38<br />
Meditation: It might seem obvious, but one way we can anticipate the Christmas season is to anticipate it. Too often the time can be rushed or hurried and before we know it, Christmas is over. We anticipate so much and fill our time with so many things it is odd at how easily Jesus and thinking about him can be left out. What if I sat and contemplated Jesus as much as I did that perfect gift? What if I searched for him as hard as I did that ultimate sale? Our Christmas season would be a hundred times more enjoyable if our greatest anticipation centered on Jesus. Take the rest of the day today and get rid of all the holiday trappings. Maybe it will be an hour or just 30 minutes, but take some time to think of nothing but who Jesus is and what his birth means for you.<br />
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Thursday – Matthew 2.1-12<br />
Meditation: Christmas is also a time of worship. We are not celebrating the Christmas season rightly if our hearts are not drawn to worship Christ. Take that as a good barometer for your Christmas season. How much has your heart been drawn to God during this time? In Matthew even these pagans know what Christmas is about and they endanger life and limb to come and worship him. Pray that this week would be a time of worship for you. You have been given so much by God. Here in Jesus we see that all his promises aren’t just so much fluff. Here we see his promises made flesh. What a great reason to worship.<br />
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Friday – Luke 1.5-44; Luke 2.22-38; Matthew 2.1-12<br />
Meditation: We’ve seen the heart of the Christmas season this week. Look back at these stories and compare their anticipation to your own. Their focus to yours. Their actions to your own. Where is your joy, your anticipation, your worship? Christmas is coming. It’s not too late to set your heart on him.<br />
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Saturday – Luke 2.1-52First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-78445108759363476732011-12-14T11:56:00.000-08:002011-12-14T11:56:35.822-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (December 11th-17th)<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Rockwell","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (December 11<sup>th</sup>-17<sup>th</sup>)<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Monday</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> –John 14<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">This week we will look at the final section of John 14. Jesus has come to make a new race of people who are loyal to God. This race though will not be defined by skin color or any other outward marks but will be distinguished by certain traits that are nonetheless as obvious as external marks. Make it a point to examine your life this week in light of these distinguishing marks of God’s people.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Tuesday</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> –John 14.15-31; 1 John 5.2-3</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">The first mark of God’s people is that they will be filled with love for God. This love will be manifest not through mere lip service but will be seen as they keep God’s commands. Jesus says three times in this passage that love for God is defined by obedience to God’s word. This includes more than just the ethical stipulation. It means that God’s people will have a love for all of God’s word. They will delight in keeping God’s commands b/c of their great love for God. This obedience is not spurred on simply by duty but comes from a grateful heart for God’s great love given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Does your life demonstrate that you love God? Pray that God would give you a greater love for him? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Wednesday</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> <b>–</b></span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">John 14.15-31; Acts 1.8; Joel 2.28-29<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">A second mark of the new people of God is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The greatest distinction between the Old Testament people of God (Israel) and the New Testament people of God (the church) is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus leaving his disciples will be better for them than if he stays on this earth for having the Spirit of Christ living inside is far greater than walking with Christ physically on this earth. The Spirit will do a great work inside of God’s people as he carries on the ministry of Christ among the church. He will bring us life, give understanding of God’s word and will transform our lives so that they conform to the image of Christ. If you are a child of God, know today that God’s Spirit lives inside you and is working in your life. What a wonderful blessing and gift from our great God and Father! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Thursday</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> – John 14.15-31; Romans 8.12-17<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">A third mark of the church is adoption into the family of God. While Jesus is physically leaving his disciples, he gives them a promise that he will not leave them as orphans. A child without parents is vulnerable to many dangers for he cannot care for or defend himself. Christ’s people never have to worry about being left helpless in this world for he will never forsake us. He will not leave us as orphans. What a wonderful promise to carry in our hearts and minds throughout a life filled with difficulty and sorrow! Even on our deathbeds, we can know for sure that our God will never leave us defenseless but is always present with us even during the darkest of hours. Praise God today for bringing you into his family and always caring for us as a Father cares for his child. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Friday</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> – John 14.15-31<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">A final mark of God’s new people is a peace that surpasses all understanding. Jesus gives to his disciples peace in the midst of uncertain days that will be filled with confusion, doubt and fears. They can face these trying days with a peace that it sure. Christ’s peace is unlike the peace of the world for his peace is lasting and comes from his own blood that was shed on the cross. This peace has also been given to us. The world talks a lot about peace, yet our world is never able to secure any lasting peace. However, God’s children can know a real peace. We can have peace with God, others and ourselves b/c of what Christ has done for us on the cross. Praise God for bringing about peace in our lives and seek to make God’s peace known to others this week through the preaching of the gospel. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Saturday </span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">– John 15<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tomorrow we will gather as a people to worship our great God. Pray that God would speak to you through his word. Pray that you would submit to the King of Kings as he speaks to you in worship tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-21227805077105681692011-12-06T09:17:00.000-08:002011-12-06T09:17:04.952-08:00Podcast Now AvailableThe podcast for this Sunday's sermon (December 4th) is now available.<br />
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"When World's Collide: Jesus Vs. Oprah"<br />
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<a href="http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/">http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com</a>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-48826477105034999462011-12-05T18:56:00.001-08:002011-12-05T18:56:37.893-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (December 4th-10th)Monday – John 14.1-31<br />
This week we will look at the second section of John 14. Jesus will make several statements that will show his uniqueness over and above all religious leaders of all times. He makes statements that show he was far more than just a spiritual man, but was indeed God in the flesh. The truths we see this week regarding Christ are the very bedrock of our faith. Pray that these truths would be solidified in our church and in your mind this week.<br />
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Tuesday – John 14.4-14; Acts 4.12; Romans 1.16<br />
Jesus is the way to the Father. Many religious leaders over the course of human history have taught about how to get to God, but no one has ever made a claim as radical as that of Jesus. He is not simply telling people how to get to the Father. He is saying that access to the Father comes only through Him. Any attempt to reach God or gain eternal life that comes outside of Jesus Christ is futile and will only lead to destruction. While this exclusivity is not popular in our day, it is central to the message of Christianity and is a truth we must hold fast.<br />
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Wednesday – John 14.4-14; Colossians 1.15-20<br />
Jesus is the revealer of the Father. His teaching and ministry are doing more than just explaining to people what God is like. His very life is an exact representation of the Father so that to see him is to see the Father. This is an amazing statement for Jesus is claiming equality with the Father. This truth is crucial to the Christian faith. In order to be saved, one must confess that Jesus was more than just a man. He was God in the flesh. Anything less than this is to deny the core of our faith.<br />
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Thursday – John 14.4-14; Ephesians 3.1-13<br />
Jesus is the sharer of the Father. Jesus says that those who have faith will do the same works that the Father has done through Him. What’s more is that they will do even greater works b/c Jesus is returning to the Father. This does not mean that the disciples will do more spectacular works but that the message they will carry will have more clarity b/c it will come after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. What is amazing is that Jesus’ followers will share in his life and his work. God will work through them just as he worked through Christ to bring glory to His name. Do you see this truth in your life? Does your life display the continuation of the work of Christ?<br />
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Friday – John 14.4-14; Matthew 6.9-15<br />
Another aspect of the lives of the disciples will be prayer. After Jesus returns to the Father, the disciples will have a new access to prayer. Prayer will be one of the great gifts and commands that Christ will give his people. Jesus promises that he will answer the prayers of his people that are asked in his name. This means that prayers that seek to bring glory to the Father will be answered by Christ. Anything we ask in his name will be answered by Christ. What a great promise and invitation! Do you find yourself taking advantage of this great privilege? If we are to be a people that bring glory to God by continuing the ministry of Christ on this earth, we must be a people who pray fervently.<br />
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Saturday – John 14.1-31<br />
Look over the meditations from this week. Was there any truth that stood out to you in particular? Pray God would instill the truths from John 14 in your heart and mind. Tomorrow we will look at the final section from John 14. Pray that God would speak to you through the preaching of His word tomorrow.First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-15037165438826017492011-11-28T09:21:00.000-08:002011-11-28T14:13:02.315-08:00Podcast Now Available!The podcast for this Sunday's sermon (November 27th) is now available!<br />
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"The Cure For the Troubled Soul (John 14:1-3)"<br />
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<a href="http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/">http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/</a>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-37934918329335738952011-11-28T09:05:00.000-08:002011-11-28T09:14:29.166-08:00Book Club<div style= font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">We are starting Book Club!</div><div style=; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div style= font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Book: Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan</div><div style= font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1322499268_2">Sunday nights at 6pm</span> in Fellowship Hall (excluding December 4th)</div><div id="yui_3_2_0_1_1322548971444322" style= font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">All are welcome...great fellowship and snacks...don't need to read the book to have a good time and be encouraged in your Christian walk</div>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-26893235004591494702011-11-28T09:02:00.000-08:002011-11-28T09:16:02.262-08:00Christmas Train!<div style= font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">We will be going to the Christmas Train on December 4th! We will be leaving the church at 4:30 so we can make it there by 6:00.</div><div style= font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Tickets have come in - pick them up from Chris or Jerry</div><div style= font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Make checks out to FBC Beggs - write Christmas Train on check memo line</div>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-48340588767173887592011-11-28T09:00:00.000-08:002011-11-28T09:00:24.880-08:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Nov. 28th-Dec. 3rd )Monday –John 14.1-3<br />
This week we will look at the first section of John 14. Jesus has just told his disciples very troubling news. He will leave them soon. He is going to die. One of them will betray him, and Peter is going to deny him. This causes a very somber mood to fall upon their evening, but Jesus seeing that his disciples are troubled in their hearts will offer four encouragements that they might remain faithful during the dark days that are coming. We will find these encouragements to be beneficial as we face a life filled with trials and troubles.<br />
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Tuesday –John 14.1-3; Psalm 9.9-10; Psalm 25.1-3<br />
The first directive Jesus gives his disciples is to believe in God and believe in Him. The key to facing difficult days is to trust in God’s sovereignty, wisdom and power. The disciples will be tempted to believe that God is not in control of the events that will transpire over the next few days. They need to trust that the Father and Christ are in complete control over all things. We, too, need to trust in God during trying circumstances. The most difficult of days can be faced with confidence and hope when we look to God in faith. We must not focus upon our difficult situations but upon a God who is ‘greater than all.’<br />
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Wednesday – John 14.1-3; Revelation 21.1-8<br />
A second aspect of facing troubling times is an understanding that ‘in the Father’s house are many rooms.’ The focus of this statement is not on the lavishness of each individual room but on the intimacy his disciples will have with the Father and the spaciousness of His house. One of the great hopes of the Christian life is the reality that those who trust in Christ will spend their life and their eternity in a relationship with God. The disciples need not worry about being excluded from heaven for there is ample room for all who believe. This, too, is a great hope for us—the reality that we will spend all of eternity living in the Father’s house. Praise God and Christ for bringing this great blessing about!<br />
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Thursday – John 14.1-3; Habakkuk 1.13; Hebrews 10.19-22<br />
A third source of comfort for dark days is the fact that Jesus has ‘prepared a place’ for us. It is better for the disciples if Jesus leaves b/c when he does he will prepare a place for them. Preparing a place does not mean that Jesus is going to heaven to finish building it for us but instead means that he is preparing a way for us to go to heaven. Scripture is clear that sinful man cannot dwell in the presences of a holy God, yet we believe that we will one day go and live in the very presences of God. This is why Jesus must go and prepare a place for us. He does this by dying on the cross and being raised from the dead. By doing so, he opens up access for us to live with Him in His Father’s house forever.<br />
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Friday – John 14.1-3; 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11<br />
A final cause for hope during trying times is the certainty of Jesus’ return. He tells his disciples that after he goes and prepares a place for them he will return to get them and take them to be with Him. Jesus will not forsake his people. He will return for them. It is inconceivable that having gone through all the difficulty to reconcile man and God that Jesus would not bring it to its consummation. He will return for his bride and take his people to heaven with him. What a wonderful truth to sustain us during difficulty! No matter how hard life gets, we can always take comfort in knowing that this world is not the end for us. We are destined for an eternity with God and Christ.<br />
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Saturday – John 14<br />
Pray that God would speak to you through the preaching of His word tomorrowFirst Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-73299465490108038272011-11-22T08:42:00.000-08:002011-11-22T08:42:30.237-08:00Daily Bible Reading Guide (Nov. 21st – Nov. 26th)DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Nov. 21st – Nov. 26th)<br />
Monday – John 13.31-38<br />
Meditation: What is the mark of a true Christian? What quality/characteristic would I find to tell me “Hey, this person is a Christian!”? We’ll look this week at what Jesus says every Christian must possess. Are you a Christian? What about your family, friends? Then you and they must have the marks of genuine faith: love for one another.<br />
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Tuesday – John 13.31-38; 1 John 3.14; 1 John 4.7-8<br />
Meditation: Jesus gives us a new command in this passage. His command: love one another. We always want to know what a Christian should look like, and here Jesus tells us – a Christian will love other Christians. This teaching from Jesus about the importance of loving one another will be found repeatedly in the rest of the New Testament. To be a Christian is to love other Christians – that is what Jesus tells us. How about you? When you look at your life do you see the type of love that Jesus says will be there?<br />
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Wednesday – John 13.31-38; Matthew 5.23-24; 1 Corinthians 6.7; 1 John 5.2<br />
Meditation: We like to define love. And we often define it whatever way best fits us. What does loving the Christian look like? Well we aren’t supposed to just come up with our own definition. Scripture gives us guidelines on what real love looks like, and not surprisingly it looks a lot like how Jesus lived – humble and not self-seeking. When there are disagreements, what does the Bible say we must do? “Be reconciled.” Not go somewhere else. Not avoid. Be reconciled. But what if we are right? “Be wronged, be cheated.” Why? Because our love for one another is more important than any minor issue of saving face. In the end, it’s not about you – it’s bigger than you and bigger than me. It’s about the gospel and the type of love that the bride of Christ must possess. Is this the love you show to other Christians?<br />
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Thursday – John 13.31-38, esp. v. 35<br />
Meditation: Why is God so adamant that we fix our relationships and that love be obvious in our fellowship? Why does he tell us to seek reconciliation and to be wronged if that’s what it takes? Because our love for one another affects the spread of the gospel. The world is watching us and the way they will know we are truly disciples of the Savior is by our love for one another. Why doesn’t the world believe? Maybe it’s because what’s supposed to convince them isn’t there. Or maybe its been covered up by things we think will convince them even more. Yet God tells us, “You want the world to believe? Then love one another.” Would you say your love for others is helping or hurting the spread of the gospel?<br />
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Friday – John 13.18-30; 1 Peter 2.3; 1 Peter 4.8<br />
Meditation: What drives us to this type of love? Seeing and understanding the love of Christ for us. A love that is powerful enough to promise us eternity (“you will follow afterward” – v. 36) and a love greater than our disloyalty (ex. Peter). It is a “grace that is greater than all our sin” and we must show that same grace to all within the family of God. Not because they deserve it or have earned it, but because we didn’t either and yet by the grace of God love is what we got anyway. Praise God. Bring him glory – by loving one another.<br />
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Saturday – John 14.1-31First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-29441612063038651502011-11-21T19:14:00.000-08:002011-11-21T19:14:02.854-08:00November 20th Sermon Available!This week's sermon titled "On Loving and Leaving: Washed Feet and Wayward Believers [part 2]" is now available to download!<br />
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<a href="http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/">http://fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/</a>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-29674334679492033852011-06-06T19:06:00.001-07:002011-06-06T19:06:31.970-07:00Podcast Now Available!The podcast for June 5, 2011 is now available!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.fbcbeggs.podomatic.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.fbcbeggs.podomatic.c</a></span>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-27296542099919718152011-06-06T10:12:00.000-07:002011-06-06T10:12:19.994-07:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (June 6th – June 11th)Monday – John 6.1-71<br />
Meditation: What do you want? Do you want to be satisfied or do you want to be saved? That is the question that this passage lays out. The answer, Christ tells us, comes only from the bread of life. He is the bread of life. If we want anything in this life, it comes from him. Is Christ the bread of your life? Is he your satisfaction? Or are you still trying to find pleasure in the things this world has to offer?<br />
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Tuesday – John 6.36-71; Luke 8.4-15<br />
Meditation: How do you know if you shared the gospel right? What proves to you that you didn’t mess up? Jesus makes one thing clear: don’t grade your performance on peoples’ responses. Here Jesus gives a clear gospel message, and is in fact the gospel living right before their eyes. This is perfect evangelism. Yet what happens, the entire crowd leaves him. Fifteen thousand people walk away. We think if one person isn’t convinced by our witness we are a failure. Take hope in the same thing Christ did; he knows the Father is working, his job is to just do his will. Share the gospel, not judging your success on the people who flock to follow you, but on doing the Father’s will. You’ll find more happiness in that than you will 500 false conversions.<br />
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Wednesday – John 6.36-71; John 17.14-17<br />
Meditation: This world does not like the gospel. But that doesn’t mean we should back down from the truth. When the crowds respond negatively to Christ, he doesn’t change strategies. He continues to give them what they need to hear: “Believe in me to find life.” In the same way, when the world or our friends or family ridicules us, we should not be shocked or swayed. Our hope rests in the truth. That is a foundation that will never be shaken.<br />
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Thursday – John 6.36-71<br />
Meditation: What does unbelief look like? Is it the atheist or agnostic? Is it the one who hates the Bible or lives in blatant sin? Jesus shows us here that unbelief is more than that and that’s why it’s so dangerous. Sometimes unbelief reigns in a group that is following Jesus daily. Sometimes it’s even in those who call themselves his disciples. Belief isn’t passive – being in a certain group, claiming a certain title (whether it’s “disciple” or “Christian”). Belief is actively pursuing and consuming Christ – seeing him as your only food, your only satisfaction, your only salvation.<br />
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Friday – John 6.36-71; 1 John 5.3<br />
Meditation: Do you have a problem with Jesus? The crowds didn’t believe who he was. They didn’t like what he had to say. What about you? Do you have a problem with him? How can you tell? God tells us to look at our lives. Believing what Jesus says isn’t about just nodding our heads at the right time, or giving an “amen”. It’s demonstrated in our changed lives. Dead lives, lives of unbelief, they look dead. And changed hearts, alive hearts, hearts that believe who Jesus is and what he says, they show it too. Your life testifies what you believe. What is it saying?<br />
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Saturday – John 7First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-8997017780597030472011-04-25T17:07:00.001-07:002011-04-25T17:07:53.429-07:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (April 25th – 30th)Monday – Luke 22.1-24.53<br />
Meditation: Easter is said to be the greatest day in the Christian calendar. But how do the truths we celebrate at Easter impact the rest of our year? By the grace of God, when Jesus does rise on Easter morn he spends his remaining time here teaching his disciples about this greatest of days and how they are now to live. Pray today that God would make Easter more than a day of celebration, but an event that shapes every day to follow in your new risen life.<br />
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Tuesday – Luke 24.13-49; Romans 8.28; John 20.24-29<br />
Meditation: The greatest time in Christian history also seems to have been the most chaotic. The events of the week leading up to Sunday left those how followed Jesus confused and afraid. So when Jesus meets with them, his first response is to remind them that those things were far from chaotic but rather the plans of God. He also reassured them that he was real and that if he was real, so was their salvation. Easter is a time of life back from the dead. A day God promised in Scripture and worked out not in chaos but by his plan, and in that day accomplished our salvation, a salvation just as real as our resurrected Lord.<br />
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Wednesday – Luke 24.49; John 16.4-11; Acts 1.8<br />
Meditation: Jesus promises that his departure will be a time of great blessing for us, because he will send the promised Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts. It is the Spirit that will empower us to do all that Christ has called us to do. When Jesus is telling them this he puts extra emphasis on the power of the Spirit to change the hearts of the world. How is that we have the force behind bringing hearts to life residing inside of us and we sit twiddling our thumbs and talking about how ineffective we would be in evangelism?<br />
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Thursday – Matthew 28.9-10<br />
Easter is also just a time of great celebration, for God has done great things for us. A time of good news to be spread among all God’s people. A lot of times we can be guilty of celebrating without thinking about what or why we are celebrating. We lose the point of Easter in the midst of celebrating Easter. Make sure you don’t do that. Fill your mind today with what we are celebrating, let no other thought come in but Christ risen for you, and let those thoughts serve as the foundation for your happiness and rejoicing today and for your life.<br />
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Friday – Matthew 28.18-20<br />
Meditation: What do we do now that Easter is over? Easter is not the ending of the story but the beginning of the disciples’ task. What is that task? Make disciples. Go, baptize, teach them. This is our new call that springs from the truths that Easter brought to life. Jesus is alive, you are alive, now tell the world how they can live. But how can we possibly be responsible for such a great task? Jesus calms our fears by assuring us, he is with us the whole way. Are you celebrating Easter by living out your new purpose in life? Are you living like Jesus is right there with you? Helping you, guiding you, but also watching all that you do?<br />
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Saturday – John 5.1-47<br />
Meditation: Did you celebrate Easter this whole week? Prepare your heart to continue that celebration in worship tomorrow.First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-86910232860413650082011-04-18T07:20:00.000-07:002011-04-18T07:20:24.525-07:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (April 18th – 23rd)Monday – John 4.43-54<br />
Meditation: “Just give me a sign.” Have you ever asked that of God? Just a little more proof and your faith will be bolstered. You’re not alone. Many people think signs will spur them into greater faith, but “seeking signs” we are going to see is often a sign itself…a sign of unbelief. This week’s lesson isn’t a focus on sign-seeking but rather the problem of unbelief that plagued the nation of Israel and that plagues the world today. Do you believe? That’s the question for this week and I hope your answer will be, “Most definitely I do.”<br />
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Tuesday – John 4.43-45; John 1.11; Revelation 3.17<br />
Meditation: Why do you need Jesus? Many people sought Jesus because they thought he could fix their problems. From diseases to demons, Jesus was the one who could right your ship. This was what the Jews were looking for and Jesus rebukes them for it. But why? Because in seeking signs and fixes of those problems, they missed their greatest problem. They needed Jesus, but not to fix their world. They needed him to fix them. Their hearts were the problem. Until they believed that, Jesus tells them they will never truly believe. What do you need Jesus for? Do you think he fixes what wrong in your life or do you believe that he fixes your biggest problem: YOU? The first seeks for signs, but the second finds a savior.<br />
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Wednesday – John 4.46-49<br />
Meditation: This story serves as the example of unbelief. Here is a man who just wants Jesus to come and fix the greatest problem he has in his life. Or at least what he thinks is his greatest problem. Serving as an example of God’s wayward people, he longs for a sign, but doesn’t really believe that Jesus is the Savior of his soul. Would your life fit with this example? Someone who wants Jesus in their life but doesn’t necessary think they need to be saved?<br />
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Thursday – John 4.50-54; Hebrews 4.12<br />
Meditation: Something happens when Jesus speaks to this man. Jesus’ words change this man’s heart in a way that will bring about a new hope for himself and for his whole family. The man realizes that Jesus is more than a miracle worker and finally the man believes. And this change is wrought by a simple response from Jesus. There is great power in God’s word, and that same power is available to you. Every time you open the Bible, you meet words that carry the same life-changing power. Are you looking for God to speak to you too, while the whole time his word sits unopened and his voice muted in the Bible you don’t read?<br />
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Friday – John 4.43-54<br />
Meditation: Do you believe? Or are you just wanting God to fix your world without realizing what he really needs to fix is your heart? What a great testimony to the power of God that when we listen not only does he change us, but he can change those we love as well. This man journeyed from unbelief to belief and Jesus worked a greater sign than the man could have imagined: eternal life for him, his little boy, and his whole family.<br />
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Saturday – Luke 22.1-24.53<br />
Meditation: Easter approaches. Is your heart alive? Christ’s return from the tomb is what bore that great hope. Rejoice in the resurrection that brings you lifeFirst Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-36695415045427790552011-04-11T13:36:00.000-07:002011-04-11T13:36:14.092-07:00DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (April 10th-16th)<div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u> Monday</u> – John 4.1-42</b></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">This week we will look at Jesus encounter with the woman at the well focusing on the 2<sup>nd</sup> half of the narrative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray that God would use these meditations to transform your life.</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">Tuesday</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;"> – John 4.27-30; Matthew 28.19-20</span></b></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">The woman, upon discovery of who Jesus is, leaves her water jar and makes a beeline for the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She must tell others of this man who told her everything she ever did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has experienced the grace of God, and she wants others to know of the salvation that can be found in Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is very excited about what God has done in her life, so she tells others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you see a similar excitement in your life over what God has done for you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you have a similar zeal to share your faith with others?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray that God would give us an excitement for evangelism like this woman.</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">Wednesday</span></u></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">– John 4.31-38; Deuteronomy 8</b></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">Jesus uses his encounter with the woman as a teaching tool for his disciples regarding his priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He tells them that his food is ‘to do the will of Him who sent Him.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Food is one of the most basic desires and needs we have and a topic our thoughts are often consumed with (especially men!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus tells his disciples that his food is to do His Father’s will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most basic need Jesus had while walking this Earth wasn’t what he was going to eat for dinner but how he was going to accomplish His Father’s will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you have a like desire to accomplish God’s will?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you think about more: what you are going to eat or how you can do God’s will?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, we are far too often much more concerned with our next meal than we are with doing God’s will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray that God would show you that ‘man does not live by bread alone but by ever word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">Thursday</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;"> – John 4.31-38; Matthew 9.37-38</span></b></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">One of the most often used metaphors for God’s work of salvation is sowing and harvesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus tells his followers to look up and see that the fields are ripe for harvest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This probably occurred while the Samaritans were coming out of the town in the distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus knew that a great reaping of souls was about to take place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s work of harvesting souls is not complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is still gathering his people, and there are still those in our community who need to be harvested unto the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God allows us to work with him in this great work of harvest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you working with God in the harvesting of souls? </span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">Friday</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;"> – John 4.39-42; 1 Corinthians 1.18-31</span></b></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">The story of the woman at the well shows us that salvation is of the Lord and that God’s candidates for salvation often go against what would be expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicodemus was everything a person would have looked for in starting a religious movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woman at the well would have been everything a person would not have looked for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, at the end of the day, she has believed in Jesus where as Nicodemus leaves his meeting with Christ confused and disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can often have unbiblical expectations about what type of people would make good candidates for salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want those who seem to have it together, who have money and prestige.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, God’s ways are not ours, and he often chooses those who we would least expect.</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">Saturday </span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt;">– John 4.1-42</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">John 4 ultimately shows us that Jesus and Jesus alone is the Savior of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you trust in Jesus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, then praise God that he sent his son into the world to save you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prepare yourself today as we will gather for worship tomorrow.</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div>First Baptist Church Beggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16592902361600694237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720061841777938170.post-51171020790675083552011-01-03T16:38:00.000-08:002011-01-03T16:38:40.995-08:00Podcasts Now Available!The podcasts for Sunday, January 2, are now available!<br />
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