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ScriptureStream

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ScriptureStream episodes

  • Bible 101: Chasing Curiosity - Starting a Bible Study Habit
    Introduction
    • II Timothy 2:2
    • Ephesians 4:11-12
    • Each and every Christian needs to be studying the Bible on a regular basis!
      • What are you curious about?
      • Make a list: “Things I’m curious about.”
        • Acts 17:30
        • Acts 13:47
        • Pick the most interesting thing on the list and study that!
          • Do some simple study
          • Find all the relevant passages.
            • Example: The Lord’s Supper
              • Matthew 26:26-29
              • Read!
              • Compare translations.
                • What does the phrase “drink ye all of it” mean? Comparing translations shows that Jesus meant for all of those gathered to drink of the grape juice. It did not mean for them to drink all of the grape juice.
                • Read the context.
                • Consider the original meaning.
                  • Matthew 26:27 – “fruit of the vine”?
                  • Account for figurative language.
                    • Is it literally Jesus’ blood? Matthew 26:28-29. Jesus was using a metaphor.
                    • Check fallible sources for passages and ideas.
                      • Don’t do this before reading the passages yourself first!
                      • Acts 19:1-7; 18:24-28 – Apollos taught an incomplete message at first.
                      • Acts 17:1-3
                      • Are people proving their points from the passages?
                      • Don’t look for the “church of Christ position”!
                        • Matthew 15:2; 19:3-9 – Jesus directs the Pharisees back to the text when they try to figure out what doctrinal camp He is in.
                        • Harmonize all the passages into a conclusion.
                        • Repent and change yourself as needed.
                          • Luke 6:46
                          • Save your notes.
                            • Set up your own filing system, either on paper or digitally, so that you can find your notes again later.
                            • Editor’s note: Consider a Zettelkasten system like Obsidian if taking notes digitally.
                              • Conclusion
                              • II Timothy 2:15
                                • 34 min
                              • Humility Practice, Part 4
                                Compliment someone
                                • Bible connection
                                  • Luke 6:43-45
                                  • Romans 12:9
                                  • Matthew 12:34-35
                                  • James 1:26
                                  • Ephesians 4:29
                                  • Hebrews 3:13
                                  • Hebrews 10:24-25
                                  • Complimenting others exhorts and encourages others. It takes the spotlight off us.
                                  • Luke 19:6 – The example of Zaccheus.
                                  • John 4:29 – The example of the Samaritan woman at the well.
                                  • Hebrews 13:1
                                  • Matthew 12:36
                                  • Why is this hard?
                                  • Why is it hard to accept a compliment?
                                  • How can we improve on giving compliments, exhortation, and encouragement?
                                    • Golden Rule: Treat other people the way you would like to be treated.
                                    • Show interest in other people’s interests.
                                    • Philippians 4:8 – If we focus on positive things like this, complimenting others is so much easier.
                                      • 40 min
                                    • Saved by Grace
                                      • Ephesians 2:5, 8-9 – Does grace mean we have no role in salvation? Faith clearly has a role in salvation. God provides salvation through His grace, but it is on us to receive it.
                                      • John 3:16; 8:24; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:21 – What faith does for the believer.
                                        • Faith alone is not sufficient
                                        • Romans 10:9-10
                                        • If salvation is dependent on confession, confession is not a “work” because we know that works don’t save us (Ephesians 2:8-9)!
                                        • Acts 2:37-38 – Peter didn’t tell them to do nothing because they had already been saved. Acts 3:19-20
                                        • Mark 16:15-16 – Belief and baptism are both equally required for salvation.
                                        • Isaiah 59:16 – God’s own arm provided salvation, but we may accept it.
                                        • Acts 9:18; 22:16 – Saul had been repenting and fasting for three days, but was not forgiven of his sins until he was baptized.
                                          • Ephesians
                                          Colossians
                                          Ephesians 2:1, 5
                                          Colossians 2:13
                                          Ephesians 2:11
                                          Colossians 2:11
                                          Ephesians 2:15-16
                                          Colossians 2:14
                                          Ephesians 2:5, 6, 8
                                          Colossians 2:13, 12
                                          • Titus 3:5
                                          • Ephesians 5:26 – This may also be a reference to baptism, indicating that baptism is a work of Jesus.
                                          • Ephesians 2:10
                                            • 44 min
                                          • Jesus
                                            Mediator
                                            • I Timothy 2:5
                                            • Mediator – one who goes between two parties to reconcile them.
                                            • Hebrews 8:13
                                            • Moses was mediator of the Old Covenant. God spoke to man through Moses. Through Moses, people could approach God. Moses made this communication possible.
                                            • Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant. Jesus makes it possible for man to approach God.
                                            • We must be careful not to equate the mediator with the intercessor. Jesus on earth was a mediator – not intercessor.
                                            • Hebrews 8:4
                                              • Sacrifice
                                              • Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22
                                              • Hebrews 10:1-10
                                              • II Corinthians 5:21 – Jesus did not take on the guilt of our sins. He became the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus knew no sin.
                                                • High priest
                                                • Leviticus 16:12-34 – The high priest was to offer the blood sacrifice at the mercy seat of God and make intercession before God.
                                                • Hebrews 7:24-25 – Jesus is our high priest.
                                                • Hebrews 9:24-28
                                                • Romans 8:27, 34, 26
                                                  • Savior
                                                  • Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10; Titus 2:12-14
                                                  • Matthew 11:28-30
                                                    • Judge
                                                    • Jesus is going to be our judge!
                                                    • II Corinthians 5:10; Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 6:46; I John 1:8-10
                                                      • 39 min
                                                    • Humility Practice, Part 3
                                                      Take the lowest place
                                                      • Put others first.
                                                      • Luke 14:7-11
                                                      • This has spiritual implications, not just physical ones.
                                                      • Esther 6 – Haman’s bad example.
                                                      • Proverbs 15:33
                                                      • Mark 9:35 – To get the best position, start out with humility and serving others.
                                                      • Luke 17:7
                                                      • Matthew 16:1-16
                                                      • Matthew 25:34-40
                                                        • Consider the other side
                                                        • Apollos, Aquila, and Priscilla are good examples. Aquila and Priscilla did not look down on Apollos because of what he did not know. They helped him learn what he was missing!
                                                        • III John 1:9-10 – Diotrephes refused to listen to the other side.
                                                        • I Kings 21:17-29 – King Ahab had a major life event change his point of view. He humbled himself.
                                                          • Disagree respectfully
                                                          • II Timothy 2:23-26
                                                          • I Peter 3:14-15
                                                          • Acts 26:24-29 – Paul responded very calmly.
                                                            • 42 min
                                                          • Has God Authorized Instruments as Worship? (Part 2)
                                                            The Greek word psallo includes instruments.
                                                            • Look in Greek dictionaries.
                                                            • Look in reliable English translations.
                                                              • Romans 15:9; I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; James 5:13
                                                              • Ephesians 5:19 – This context is referring to what happens in your heart.
                                                                • Harps are used in Heaven.
                                                                • Revelation 5:8; 14:2; 15:2; 18:21-22
                                                                • The first challenge is to prove these are even literal harps.
                                                                • Second, why stop with the harps?
                                                                • Events in Heaven aren’t instructions for Christians on earth.
                                                                  • Matthew 22:30
                                                                    • We should use our God-given talents to worship Him.
                                                                    • I Peter 4:11
                                                                    • I Peter 4:15? – What about talents we have that are sinful? Can those also be used for worship?
                                                                    • I Peter 4:3, 5?
                                                                    • I John 5:3?
                                                                    • God wants us to follow His instructions in worship.
                                                                      • John 4:24
                                                                      • Genesis 4:2-5; Hebrews 11:4
                                                                      • Leviticus 10:1-2
                                                                        • Instruments were used for Old Covenant worship.
                                                                        • That’s right!
                                                                          • Numbers 10:10; II Chronicles 29:25-28
                                                                          • But we follow the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant.
                                                                            • Hebrews 8:7-8, 13
                                                                            • Acts 15
                                                                            • Galatians 5:1-3
                                                                              • No one can argue that we should use instruments because they are clearly authorized as acceptable in the New Testament.
                                                                              • Colossians 3:16
                                                                              • They are not clearly authorized in the New Testament.
                                                                                • 30 min
                                                                              • Romans, Part 14
                                                                                Children (Romans 9-11), continued
                                                                                • Romans 11:25 – The “partial hardening” here could mean the Jews partially rejected Jesus.
                                                                                • Romans 11:26-27 – “all Israel” here could be referring to spiritual Israel (see Romans 2:28-29). All Israel can be saved if they have faith in Christ. The quote is from Isaiah 59:20. Some people take this passage to mean that there will be some mass event at the end of time and that’s how all Jews will be saved, but that’s not what Paul is talking about here. Compare: Zionism
                                                                                • Romans 11:28-29 – Unfaithful Jews are enemies to Christians from the perspective of the gospel, but they are still beloved by God.
                                                                                • Romans 11:30-32 – The Gentiles had a sinful history, but mercy from God was available. God’s mercy was now available to all!
                                                                                • Romans 11:33-36 – Paul praises God for His grace and mercy.
                                                                                  • Conduct (Romans 12-16)
                                                                                  • Romans 12:1-2 – We all end up conforming to the world to a certain degree (local customs, habits, etc.), but the emphasis here is on transforming ourselves to be what God wants us to be. We must renew our minds – it must be from the inside out! Christians will put God’s word into practice and show how good it is in real life.
                                                                                  • Romans 12:3-5 – Verse 3 is a not-put construction, emphasizing the need for humility and sound judgment. This measure of faith is roughly synonymous to each person’s function in verse 5 and gifts in verse 6. See Ephesians 4:7, 11; I Peter 4:10 for a similar construction.
                                                                                  • Romans 12:6-8 – Whatever your talents are, serve the best you can. It takes concerted effort to do these things well! The abilities are gifts from God. We should rejoice that we have them!
                                                                                  • Romans 12:9 – Don’t be hypocritical in loving others. Genuinely do the best for others. Love and hate go together in the Bible. We should work on attitudes so that we hate what God hates. We should cling to what God says is good.
                                                                                    • 46 min
                                                                                  • Has God Authorized Instruments as Worship? (Part 1)
                                                                                    Foundational truth
                                                                                    • Acts 16:25
                                                                                    • Romans 15:9
                                                                                    • I Corinthians 14:15
                                                                                    • Ephesians 5:19
                                                                                    • Colossians 3:16
                                                                                    • Hebrews 2:12
                                                                                    • Hebrews 13:15
                                                                                    • James 5:13
                                                                                    • (Matthew 26:30)
                                                                                      • God didn’t say NOT to.
                                                                                      Carrying the ark
                                                                                      • Exodus 25:14 + Numbers 4:15 + Numbers 7:6-9
                                                                                      • I Chronicles 13:7-12; 15:2, 5, 12-15 – The issue was not carrying the ark the way that God had authorized.
                                                                                        • Priesthood
                                                                                        • Numbers 3; Hebrews 7:11-14; 8:4
                                                                                        • God said nothing about priests from Judah, meaning that they were not allowed according to the law. Jesus as high priest proves that the law has changed.
                                                                                          • Strange fire
                                                                                          • Leviticus 10:1-2
                                                                                            • Preaching circumcision
                                                                                            • Acts 15:5-6, 24
                                                                                              • Instruments are just aids, like pitch pipes or song books.
                                                                                              • Mark 16:15 – “Go” and “preach the gospel”
                                                                                              • I Corinthians 16:1-2 – “collection … put aside and save”
                                                                                                • Bake sales would be a separate method of gaining money – not an aid to the collection.
                                                                                                • Eight passages above – “singing”
                                                                                                  • Instruments are a separate thing – not an aid.

                                                                                                    • Psalms 150:1 – In the Old Testament, God allowed worship with instruments and did not consider them an aid.

                                                                                                    32 min
                                                                                                  • Humility Practice, Part 2
                                                                                                    Admit you don’t know
                                                                                                    • I Corinthians 3:18
                                                                                                    • Acts 8:26-39
                                                                                                      • Sometimes being in a position of authority can make us unwilling to admit ignorance.
                                                                                                      • The eunuch showed the benefit of admitting he didn’t know. He received salvation and went away rejoicing.
                                                                                                      • Philip showed humility in obeying God. Contrast this to Jonah’s response to God’s command.
                                                                                                      • Luke 14:27
                                                                                                        • Skip a meal
                                                                                                        • Skipping a meal reminds us that there are other things that are more important.
                                                                                                        • Leviticus 16:29-30
                                                                                                        • Activities associated with fasting:
                                                                                                          • Mourning for a calamity or loss of a loved one.
                                                                                                            • Mark 2:18
                                                                                                            • Prayer
                                                                                                              • Acts 14:23
                                                                                                              • Repentance – mourning for sins
                                                                                                                • Nehemiah 9:1
                                                                                                                • Study
                                                                                                                • Promote the cause of Christ, not self.
                                                                                                                  • I Corinthians 6:4
                                                                                                                  • July 20, 1775 and May 17, 1776 – Day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer.
                                                                                                                    • See Forged in Faith by Rod Gragg.
                                                                                                                      • Read the Bible for no reason
                                                                                                                      • … except to know God better.
                                                                                                                      • James 1:21-25
                                                                                                                      • I Peter 5:5 – Clothe yourself with humility.
                                                                                                                      • We need to look at ourselves.
                                                                                                                        • 41 min

                                                                                                                      About ScriptureStream

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                                                                                                                      Just the gospel, plainly spoken. ScriptureStream compiles lessons presented at the Benchley church of Christ, located just north of Bryan, TX. Visit ScriptureStream.com for full notes on each lesson…