Episode 79 - Wonderful Counselor

His Name Shall Be Called

Isaiah 9:6, 46:8-11

Isaiah is privileged to announce that the Messiah is coming 700+ years in advance. And, he wants us to know His names. Names in the bible are so important because they reveal character. The name helps us truly know the person. We want to know God more. That will be our goal for all of 2024. Know God More. To do that we must study His names.

This morning we are beginning a study of names – a study that will carry us through Easter Sunday – 18 weeks from now; and even beyond Easter to Pentecost Sunday, 7 weeks after that when the Holy Spirit was poured out. This month we will focus on the 4 titles for Jesus mentioned in Isaiah 9:6, but for context, let’s read beginning in Is. 8:11 – 9:7.

Isaiah shares more about Counsel than any other Bible writer. 18 times he mentions the word – sometimes describing the futility of man’s counsel against God, but more than any other writer, he focuses on the Wonderful Counsel of God. It sounds like this -

Isaiah 11:1-5

Isaiah 46:8-11

In the New Testament, Paul focuses us on this concept in Ephesians 1:7-12

This child that is proclaimed by Isaiah as a Wonderful Counselor walked the earth as a Man, and taught us many truths. This morning, let’s consider 5 truths from the Wonderful Counsel of Jesus.

1. The Mission is Clear

a. Seeking & Saving - Luke 19:10

b. Serving & Sacrifice - Mark 10:45

2. The Truth is Convicting

a. Only He can set us Free – John 8:31-38

b. Only He can send us Forth – John 17:17-18

3. The Care is Compassionate

a. Compassionate Teaching - Matthew 5:3-10

b. Compassionate Ministry - Matthew 9:35-38

4. The Call is Compelling

a. Pray! – Matthew 9:37-38

b. Come to Him – Matthew 11:28-30

c. Go for Him – Matthew 28:18-20

5. The Reward is Certain

a. He is the Resurrection & the Life – John 11:25-26

b. He is preparing Heaven for His Followers – John 14:1-3

c. He wants us to know we are His – 1 John 5:9-13

d. Do you know?

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 78 - ThanksLIVING

Psalm 103:1-22

The 2023 calendar needs our help! The first 6 months and 4 days go along pretty well. No real complaints, there. But, then, on July 5 we enter into the 118-day Halloween season, followed immediately on Nov 1 by the 55 days of Christmas. Talk about inflation! I never could figure out the 12 days of Christmas – but 118 days of orange Halloween lights on the tree – that is all too much. 

Let’s get back to Thanksgiving – you may have missed it last

God tells us there is a better way – He shows us through the

David says ThanksLIVING happens when you…

1. Release your Praise!

a. Let it out

b. From your innermost parts – Eternity in your Hearts - Ecclesiastes 3:11

c. This is the desire to praise 7 worship your God

d. Hebrews 13:15 – the fruit of our lips; a sacrifice of praise! Get it out.

2. Rehearse His benefits

a. He forgives all your sins

i. Personal – yours, different than mine

ii. He is able; are you willing to accept his forgiveness?

b. Heals all your diseases

c. Redeems from the Pit

i. Remember the pit?

ii. Many are still there! 3.2 Billion who need to hear!

iii. Redeem – buy you back

iv. He is the God who jumped down into the Pit at the cost of His life to bring you out.

d. Crowns you

i. A child of the King

1. Acceptance

2. Adoption

ii. Steadfast Love – Grace

iii. Mercy

e. Satisfies you with Good

i. Renewal – a satisfied  life is a renewed life

3. Remember His Character & His Ways – v 6-7

a. Who He is

b. Names/Character

c. Compared to our fragility -

i. Handle with Care / TLC

d. Compassionate Fathers get that

4. Receive His Never-ending Love

a. 1 Cor 13:8

5. Recognize His Complete Sovereignty – v 19-22

a. Over all

b. Including His angels

c. His works

d. His dominion – All His works in all His places

Takes us back to where we started – from within my innermost being – Bless the Lord, o my soul.

This is ThanksLIVING! An ongoing, daily recognition & reflection on Him. That will fix our calendar just fine.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Other podcasts from Woodpile Ministries:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 77 - Our Mission

Practical Theology

Matthew 24:14, 28:18-20

Today, we proclaim and celebrate that We Love God’s Mission – The Church reaching the World with the Gospel. As we wrap up this 8-sermon series we tie together our love for God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with our love for God’s Word, church, world, and the gospel by proclaiming that we love the Mission of God.

The Articles of our Faith, known as The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) describe what we believe about God’s Mission in this way:

 XI. Evangelism and Missions

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man’s spirit by God’s Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

We love God’s Mission – but, let’s make sure we truly understand

 God’s Mission is:

 1. The Gospel preached to Everyone – Matthew 24:14

a. Looking for Omega Man – Elmer Towns

2. Disciples developed Everywhere – Mt 28:18-20

a. Bookends of Authority and Promised Presence

b. Disciples obeying through baptism, study, and passing it on to others – disciples make disciples! ….

3. Christ’s Presence experienced to the End

a. Whether easy or hard – Matthew 7:13-14

i. Bob Shaefer – “If it was easy, someone would have already done it!”

ii. We’ve reached the easy places, but we have to continue to go to the hard ones.

b. Whether many or few

c. Whether near of far

i. Be faithful, knowing He is with us.

4. Worship Proclaimed for Eternity – Revelation 7:9

a. John Piper in “Let the Nations be Glad”  helped us understand that Missions Exists because Worship doesn’t; Missions is not the end goal.

b. Worship is the Goal

c. Someone from Everyone is reached – and is Worshipping before the Throne.

d. Endless Praise continues – Let’s practice verse 9

5. The Mission will be Accomplished

⁠⁠⁠Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood⁠⁠⁠ - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 76 - The Church

Practical Theology

Matthew 16:13-18, Ephesians 4:1-16

Today, we proclaim and celebrate that We Love God’s People – The Church. And we need to say that out loud because the Church has gotten a bad reputation these days.

The Articles of our Faith, known as The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) describe what we believe about The Church in this way:

VI. The Church

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ (which we joyously did last Sunday morning!), governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth (We have mission teams in Athens, Greece and Maui, HI right now). Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation (this is sometimes referred to as the Church Universal in contrast to the Local body of believers).

We love God’s People because:

 1. We are Called Out – Matthew 16:13-18

a. By Him – 1 Corinthians 1:1-2

b. For His Purposes – Ephesians 2:10

2. We are Knit Together – 1 Cor 12:18-27

a. Hebrews 10:19-25

b. Let us – Draw Near; Hold Fast; Consider How

i. We do life together!

c. You are my family!

3. We are Built Up – Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians 14:26, 40

a. a continuous, on-going process of maturing – 2 Peter 3:17-18

b. 1 Peter 2:1-5

c. Randolph Richards & Brandon O’Brien in Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes “Why go to church? Why worship with a group? Because, in some way we may not fully understand, the Spirit indwells the group in a way the Spirit does not indwell the individual. (We experienced that reality last Sunday morning). We are built together to become one, whole building: a single dwelling for His Spirit. Like it or not, we need each other.”

4. We are Sent In

a. John 17:14-19 – As He went, we go; with Truth

b. Insulated, not isolated! – We must go to them!

c. Matthew 28:18-20 – As you go...make disciples – who

d. Because He calls others out through us!

e. Acts 2:46-47 – the early church experienced

And then, One Day….

5. We will be Caught Up

a. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

b. 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

 We love God’s People – The Church. Where are you in this process? 

Is He calling? Have you answered?

Is He calling you to Himself for Salvation?

Is He calling you to this church – to be knit together and built up in this Body?

 Are you being knit into this body? What’s holding you back from truly connecting and committing?

 Are you being built up? Growing? What’s the barrier?

 Are you being sent? Do you see yourself as a sent one?

 Are you confident of your future? Is your Hope in Christ? Are you watching the sky – Are you ready to be caught up TOGETHER? Who’s going with you?

Called Out; Knit Together; Built Up; Sent In; and, one day, Caught up – Together – This is why we love God’s People – the Church!

Other podcasts from Woodpile Ministries:

⁠⁠Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood⁠⁠ - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 75 - The Gospel

Practical Theology

1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Romans 1:16-17; Ephesians 2:1-10

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.

B. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God. – You have been saved from the penalty of sin

C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life. – You are being saved from the power of sin!

D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. You will be saved from the presence of sin

1.     The Gospel is a Free Gift (because the ultimate price has been paid, John 19:28-30)

2.     We all need the Gospel (because we are all wretched sinners, Rom 3:10-12, 23; Eph 2:1-3)

3.     The Gospel came from God’s heart (Rom 3:24-26;

4.     The Gospel brings life and purpose (Ephesians 2:10; John 10:10; John 20:31

5.     We must repent & believe the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:11-13; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 24:46-48)

Other podcasts from Woodpile Ministries:

⁠Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood⁠ - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 74 - God's World

Practical Theology

Genesis 1:1-2:3

1. Because He is our Eternal Creator

This leads to our next Truth.

2. We love God’s World because He has given us (placed us in) stewardship of (dominion over) Creation. That is, He has charged us and equipped us to have positive influence in the World where He has placed us. Both in terms of how we manage creation, and, how we influence the culture for His Name’s sake.

i. Salt arrests Decay

ii. It preserves the Good

iii. It adds Flavor – We should bring the aroma of God! – 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

iv. Shine His Light of Love and Truth upon our spheres of influence.

1. Eph 5:1-12

i. All work has value – Your stewardship of your influence wherever you are can have Kingdom Impact for Christ in your spheres of influence – at the Bank, in the School, on the Board, at the Dr’s office, in a support group, delivering meals…

i. It is required of a steward to be found faithful - 1 Cor 4:1-2

ii. 1 Peter 4:10

1. Pray for our Leaders – 1 Timothy 2:1-4

2. Vote – when we don’t; or when we don’t vote our biblical values – we are neglecting this God-given role of influence in the culture.

3. Serve/Participate in local leadership – politics, rotary, business, social clubs, theater…

4. Advocate – especially for the marginalized in society

a. Orphanages, Pregnancy Care Centers, Hospitals

b. Baptists on Mission; A Feeding Center in Israel; Disaster Relief; Samaritan’s Purse…

5. Evangelize – our greatest influence - as we read earlier in our responsibility to the Social Order – Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. We bring the Gospel and the opportunity to repent and believe the Gospel into every area of life – that is our primary stewardship in the Great Commission – Go – means as you Go – make disciples.

6. This is our stewardship, our calling, and our responsibility – to Love God’s World – His Creation and His social structures – Family, Church, Community, Marketplace, Government... – and to steward our Gospel influence into every sphere in which He sends us.

Other podcasts from Woodpile Ministries:

Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 73 - The Word Of God

Practical Theology

Hebrews 4:12

The Articles of our Faith, known as The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) describe what we believe about the Word of God:

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

So many places in the Word we could go this morning to see how the Bible bears witness about itself. Psalm 19; Psalm 119; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Isaiah 55:11….but, I settled in, very early this week of the verse that will guide our thoughts this morning -

Hebrews 4:12 tells us - For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

We love God’s Word because:

1. The Word of God is living – the Greek Word means quick!

i. 12 times the writer implores God, “Give me life according to your Word.”

ii. Verses 25, 37, 40, 50, 149, 156, 159

iii. Genesis 2:7 – the breath of life; 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – God-breathed

2. The Word of God is active – Energēs – Powerful – Capable of Doing – 2 Timothy 3:17 – useful

3. The Word of God is sharp – cut with a single stroke – just one verse

4. The Word of God is discerning – Kritikós – the only use in the New Testament – one whose business & special gift is to judge – The Word judges the thoughts and intents of our hearts

i. The word is kardia – our thoughts, reasonings, understanding, will, judgments, designs, affections – (It’s really crowded in there!) – love, hatred, fear, joy, sorrow and anger. God knows. And, His living and active Word knows right where we are, every time we open it and engage with it.

ii. Spiros says, ‘these things can affect a man’s physical heart. Therefore ‘heart’ is used as a metonym for the mind in general.

5. Practical Theology – Loving and Living for God

What is being discerned in your heart, right now?

What is God’s purpose for His Word in your heart today?

Other podcasts from Woodpile Ministries:

Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 72 - God The Spirit

Practical Theology

Romans 8:1-27

Today, we proclaim and celebrate that We Love God the Holy Spirit.

The Articles of our Faith, known as The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) describe what we believe about God in this way –

Specifically, about God the Holy Spirit, it says:

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination, He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration, He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

We love God the Holy Spirit because:

1. He gives us life – Rom 8:1-2; 9-11

2. He guides our walk – 8:3-8

i. That’s a whole other set of sermons!

3. He guarantees our future – v12-17, 23-25

4. He groans for our needs – v26-27

5. He gifts us for service to each other –

6. Is your life controlled by the Holy Spirit?

Other podcasts from Woodpile Ministries:

Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 71 - God The Son

Practical Theology

John 5-6, 14:1-6

Specifically, about God the Son, it says -

Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

We love Jesus because:

1. He is God sent to us – Immanuel – God with us. God became a Man – The Word became Flesh…but sent to us – this speaks of intentional purpose – The Sent-ness of Jesus is emphasized especially in John 5-6, 5:17-18 – making Himself equal with God

– In chapter 5 & 6 He does that repeatedly – 23 times He describes God as Father and most of the time He is the Father, who sent Me – 11 times in these teachings He emphasizes His sentness – 5:21-24; 6:38-40

So, let us emphasize this sent-ness as well:

Jesus was -

2. And, as 2 Corinthians 5 makes clear, We are sent by Him

i. And, with His Presence

3. Live Sent! – THIS IS THE PRACTICAL PART OF OUR PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

4. 2 Corinthians 3:3 – ‘written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God - leads us to our next discussion – loving the Holy Spirit and his work in our lives – and, we’ll do that in our next episode. But for today, let’s close and consider – Jesus was sent - here, by God, for you. He came willingly, intentionally, and incarnationally – with skin on – to offer up his life as a substitutionary sacrifice for your sin. That is how much God the Father & God the Son love you.

What will you do with that love? He came to rescue you; redeem you; reconcile you to Himself; that He might sent you for Him, as His Ambassador to a lost and hurting world. What is your response, today?

Other podcasts from Woodpile Ministries:

Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692

Episode 70 - God The Father

Practical Theology

1 John 3:1-3; 4:7-12; 5:1-3

Today, we launch a new series on the study of God – Theology – Our goal is a practical study of God – A study that helps us love God supremely and live for him in real and tangible ways in this world.

Over the next 3 months, with a few appropriate interruptions along the way, we will consider 8 important truths in our study of practical theology – I am borrowing the topics from Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger’s Deep Dive series – Theology & The Mission of God. My content will be different, but I really like their titles:

We love God the Father; We love God the Son; We love God the Holy Spirit; We love God’s Word; We love God’s People; We love God’s World; We love God’s Gospel; We love God’s Mission

Today, we proclaim and celebrate that We Love God the Father.

The Articles of our Faith, known as The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) describe what we believe about God in this way –

There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

A. God the Father

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men. There are many attribute of God that we could celebrate with this study; but we will hold those for January and a study of the names of God. Today we will focus in on one key attribute of our Holy, Eternal, Righteous, Almighty, Creator God – He is the God who loves us. He cares! Our Creator cares!

In Exodus 34:5-8 He reveals Himself on Mount Sinai to Moses in this way…

Hesed – God’s steadfast love! This concept permeates the Old Testament – referenced over 200 times. Combine this with the New Testament concept that Jesus taught us –

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount references God as our Father, or His Father – more than a dozen times.

This is a practical way to think about God – He is our Heavenly Father and He loves us –therefore, we should love him, too.

Today, let’s key in on truths taught by the Apostle of Love in 1 John:

1. Love’s Adoption – 1 J 3:1

2. Love’s Anticipation – 1 J 3:2

3. Love’s Answer – v3; 4:7-10

i. Obedience demonstrates our Love – 4:11-12, 19; 5:1-3

ii. Overcoming Faith lifts us above the World’s circumstances to

enable our Love to flow to one another; and to the Lost World. 5:4-5

iii. Agape Leadership – p9-10 – The Local Church – a display window of love; and, a spiritual workshop and laboratory to grow this deep, abiding Love for one another, as an outgrowth of our love for God.

This will lead us into our topic for next Sunday – our love for God, the Son!

Other podcasts from Woodpile Ministries:

Rings To Tags - w/ Isaac & Amanda Wood - Marriage. Family. Home. God's Way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rings-to-tags/id1634856692