A new year is just changing numbers on a calendar, right?

For us a humans, a new year is a good time to seek the LORD for fresh direction and vision. In this episode, I challenge you with ways to seek the LORD in 2024 while giving you examples from my own life.

Key Scriptures:

Main Passage: 1 Peter 1:13-22

Supporting Verses:

“The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil . . .” (Pr. 8:13 ESV).

“But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:13, NRSV).

"What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 'I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,' says the Lord Almighty. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1, ESV).

“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable you, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:20-22, ESV).

Accurately interpreting the Bible helps us know Jesus better.

In this episode, we look at Luke 19:10 from by considering the context in the following areas:

o Historical

o Cultural

o Literary

§ Genre: history, poetry, letter,

§ Writer

§ Original Audience

§ Purpose

o Textual

§ Sentences, paragraph, surrounding chapters and more

o Linguistic

§ Word studies, cross references, grammar and more

Scriptures to follow along: John 8:31Luke 14:26o They were committed! Devoted their time to observing and listening to the teacher Understanding Scripture Practicing Scripture--become like their rabbi Matthew 10:24-25, Luke 6:40 Note progression from Mark 3-13-19 to John 13:13-15

Source of material: Ray Vander Laan. https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/rabbi-and-talmidim

Grace Qualifies

“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me wat not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor. 15:9-10).

God’s grace is the means by which we become who we are in Christ

God’s grace empowers us to work hard

“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8 ESV).

God’s grace enables us to preach

“Not that we are sufficient [NIV says competent] in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor. 3:5-6).

God’s grace qualifies us for ministry

Both to God and to others

Grace Instructs and Trains Us

"The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training[1] us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright , and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works

Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you" (Titus 2:11-15 ESV).

God’s grace trains us like a parent training/disciplining his or her child.

His trains us what to reject and how to live

Jesus Christ our Lord is the One who gives us grace

[1] Paideuo—to train a child so that he may develop and reach full potential (HELPS Word Studies by Discovery Bible).