tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.comments2023-10-18T06:02:03.484-05:00Bible Teaching from Generation WordGeneration Word Bible Teaching Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337847520320908714noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-36434908241664317442013-03-26T20:00:52.765-05:002013-03-26T20:00:52.765-05:00A lot of Christians must read this message. Great ...A lot of Christians must read this message. Great reminder. Thanks and God bless!<br /><br /><a href="http://calvaryoakville.com/" rel="nofollow">Baptist</a><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03931983241745945558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-5100065725117971672013-02-02T04:35:30.528-06:002013-02-02T04:35:30.528-06:00I responded at http://hil001.blogspot.com/2013/01/...I responded at http://hil001.blogspot.com/2013/01/john-chapter-6-verse-44.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-3541675742720788622010-11-26T11:00:29.196-06:002010-11-26T11:00:29.196-06:00The argument here is essentially what is referred ...The argument here is essentially what is referred to as a straw man argument. It presents a distorted view of the Calvinist position, and knocks it down easily. The Calvinist position is not that God drags us into the kingdom kicking and screaming, but that God's call results in the regeneration of our hearts, bringing us from death to life, turning our hearts from stone to flesh, so that we may then come willingly to God.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-24871347734429725232010-02-19T12:35:23.353-06:002010-02-19T12:35:23.353-06:00Wow, that is awesome!
It makes me think about say...Wow, that is awesome!<br /><br />It makes me think about saying to those skeptics, "Duh! OF course they could write the Bible back then."<br /><br />It's great to see how archaeology proves God's Word over and over again. Thanks for this info.Penn Tomassettihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04426113620189406498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-82931592024015485552010-01-26T08:36:24.418-06:002010-01-26T08:36:24.418-06:00The modern church does some things well like give ...The modern church does some things well like give comfortable careers to seminary graduates, programs for kids, missions trips, ear tickling sermons. They talk alot about Jesus and the gospel but our culture has already been proselytized. In this process the critical need for verse by verse Bible teaching is lost and Christians are illiterate. A basic level of Christian education in the church has been lost.T.F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01427746842173236713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-58219703936864027782010-01-25T18:22:20.774-06:002010-01-25T18:22:20.774-06:00I'm always amazed at the athiest who thinks he...I'm always amazed at the athiest who thinks he is more intelligent. What does he do with the great scientists of our age, Kepler, Newton, Faraday, and a myriad of others. They were all believers and dedicated Christians. The greatest minds in history, Enoch, Solomon, Paul, Augustine, and Leonardo were all believers. They had a heart to go with their brain.P. Edwardsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-63755539656708630862010-01-02T22:16:43.560-06:002010-01-02T22:16:43.560-06:00I would just ask you to be careful that you are no...I would just ask you to be careful that you are not deriding a spiritual gift given to someone else. Edification takes place in little children and by them as well -- "building up" can mean encouraging. I think in this case, the building up is the teaching of our children that God wants them to spread the gospel message too and that it doesn't have to be a five point sermon to get the message across. I'm sure Away in a Manger sung by 2-year-olds doesn't stretch your spiritual muscles any more than it does mine, but it's not always about us.<br />God bless you for your devotion to teaching His Word. God also bless those who get those young people to start practicing their faith.Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16874576939768922934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-526714640374750712009-12-30T21:35:47.781-06:002009-12-30T21:35:47.781-06:00Wow! That was the best explanation I have ever hea...Wow! That was the best explanation I have ever heard for that set of question. Outstanding blog!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-85821063232530233422009-12-20T23:34:10.820-06:002009-12-20T23:34:10.820-06:00The teaching is the same. I still teach verse by v...The teaching is the same. I still teach verse by verse most Sundays. Our church is a younger church than at Garwin and we have more contemporary music, but basically, it is very similar.Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16337847520320908714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-32232263477340477172009-12-20T22:15:29.224-06:002009-12-20T22:15:29.224-06:00Do you still do your service similar to when you w...Do you still do your service similar to when you were in Garwin? Or has it changed?<br /><br />We are still looking for a church, been to a couple here in Des Moines, but nothing has really felt right. We are both looking for I guess what we had when we were growing up.Matt Nhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11422728258188645599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-19576514569946536582009-12-20T20:08:02.457-06:002009-12-20T20:08:02.457-06:00Like I said, our kids sang a couple of songs today...Like I said, our kids sang a couple of songs today. Children's programs are great, cute, a good way to get people in the door and an even better way to help teach the children. But, nothing can replace Bible teaching. In an age of scriptural illiteracy this is a tragedy. Sunday night or Christmas eve or some other time that does not interfere with the teaching of God's word would be a good time to have a children's program. Imagine never instructing a math class in mathematics or drilling a basketball team in offense or defensive skills. That is the modern church.<br /><br />I will go one step further and say the assembly of the church (believers) is not an evangelistic meeting. It is for the edification and instruction of the believer/priest. Edified and educated believer/priest will evangelize their society. Ignorant and anemic believers will, at best, invite a friend to church in hope that the pastor (the CEO of the corporation and spiritual hired gun) will provide an altar call. <br /><br />My boys missed an opportunity to be taught the word of God by an educated, gifted, trained pastor/teacher. Where are these men at? My boys need them. My nation needs them.Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16337847520320908714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-44038020777901760282009-12-20T19:13:57.491-06:002009-12-20T19:13:57.491-06:00Galyn -- would you have felt differently if this w...Galyn -- would you have felt differently if this were done on Sunday evening? Or if there had been a brief sermon and invitation given by the pastor afterward? Shouldn't there be room for this somewhere in the church? On the other hand, I too am disappointed at my weekly experiences at (a Bible teaching) church.Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16874576939768922934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-994420830200936782009-11-10T10:30:48.791-06:002009-11-10T10:30:48.791-06:00Parents in my community drop off their kids at a c...Parents in my community drop off their kids at a church with the assumption that something good will come out the other end. This of course is a disaster for our kids and the nation. We have an entire generation of parents that can't give what they don't have and their children say "My parents went out and sinned so it must be OK". It is important that parents have their own story of righteous living so that their children can't make excuses. We parents must live the authentic Christian life first and before anything else. That includes making tough decisions regarding church and I would advise people to avoid the ones that don't teach Bible doctrine as truth.T.F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01427746842173236713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-53561612999604544152009-11-01T18:48:49.029-06:002009-11-01T18:48:49.029-06:00I agree with what you said but you didn't real...I agree with what you said but you didn't really answer the first question of what do parents and pastors do. The answer is teach, read, and study the bible. It says in Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.<br />This would be a great start for parents and pastors!tonihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07393283157376016620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-81953040454473443662009-11-01T16:13:59.597-06:002009-11-01T16:13:59.597-06:00Anonymous: Assuming your question is sincere (and,...Anonymous: Assuming your question is sincere (and, I do not fear offending you since "anonymous" is not a real person) the very fact you have to ask "what are parents and pastors to do" indicates we are at such a low level of self-evaluation that we are incapable of problem solving and it is probably too late to save our culture. But, if I were to pretend that America is listening and has the strength of soul to respond I would say first: 1) know the Truth, 2) live the Truth, 3) communicate the Truth. Pastor's need to identify what motivated them to give up communicating the absolutes of the Word of God and forsake that vain motivation. They need to return to laying a foundation of absolute truth in the souls of people (including the youth). Parents need to realize that their generation has either compromised absolute principles for self-satisfaction, convenience or ignorance. Parents must first educate themselves concerning Reality (biblical worldview), because you can not teach what you do not know. Second, parents must hold themselves accountable to live according to the standards of these absolutes, because your actions speak louder than your words. <br /><br />But, according to the stats, there is really no way of recovering. God apparently can spare a nation who as an older generation with 9% Christian world view. But now, with an "emerging" generation with a mere population of 0.5% that is commitment to absolute Truth (5 out of every 1,000 people), the spiritual pivot is too microscopic to support a national population. We must collapse or see some form of repentance and revival. If this revival were to occur, I can not imagine today's clergy having anything to do with it. Where will it come from? Who will instigate it? Who will lead it? And, if it does occur, where will it end up? Will it be redirected by Christian marketing? Will it be swallowed up emergent church growth plans? <br /><br />Until, then, just keep asking questions with answers this generation can not comprehend.Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16337847520320908714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-10836649040292577672009-11-01T08:53:23.487-06:002009-11-01T08:53:23.487-06:00Some word of direction from Martin Luther
The gre...Some word of direction from Martin Luther<br /><br />The great reformer by bitter experience knew from whence this boredom and distaste for the Bible came. He comments on this at end of a sermon on the Monday after Easter, 1530:<br /><br /> You should diligently learn the Word of God and by no means imagine that you know it. Let him who is able to read take a psalm in the morning, or some other chapter of Scripture, and study it for a while. This is what I do. When I get up in the morning, I pray and recite the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer with the children, adding any one of the psalms. I do this only to keep myself well acquainted with these matters, and I do not want to let the mildew of the notion grow that I know them well enough. The devil is a greater rascal than you think he is. You do as yet not know what sort of fellow he is and what a desperate rogue you are. His definite design is to get you tired of the Word and in this way to draw you away from it. This is his aim (WA 32, 64f.).<br /><br />In a similar vein, Luther addresses this "insidious plague of boredom" toward the Word of God in his preface to the Large Catechism, giving further reasons to constantly meditate on Scripture.<br /><br /> I implore them not to imagine that they have learned these parts of the Catechism [10 Commandments, Apostles' Creed, Lord's Prayer] perfectly . . . Even if their knowledge of the Catechism were perfect (though that is impossible in this life), yet it is highly profitable and fruitful daily to read it and make it the subject of meditation and conversation. In such reading, conversation, and meditation the Holy Spirit is present and bestows ever new and greater light and fervor . . . . Nothing is more effectual against the devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts than to occupy oneself with the Word of God, talk about it and meditate on it . . . For this reason alone you should eagerly read, recite, ponder and practice the Catechism, even if the only blessing and benefit you obtain from it is to rout the devil and evil thoughts. For he cannot bear to hear God' s Word. God's Word is not like some empty tale, such as the one about Dietrich of Bern, but as St. Paul says in Rom. 1:16, it is "the power of God," indeed, the power of God which burns the devil and gives us immeasurable strength, comfort, and help (Book of Concord; Tappert edition; Large Catechism 9-11).ejvhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02925389044088260358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-29356767548088644592009-11-01T08:31:50.399-06:002009-11-01T08:31:50.399-06:00thanks for the stats. what is it exactly you are c...thanks for the stats. what is it exactly you are calling parents and pastors to do? how do they fix it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-72385364182809068402009-10-20T21:49:54.684-05:002009-10-20T21:49:54.684-05:00Very impressive to see Justin at work and while we...Very impressive to see Justin at work and while we don't know him real well we are very proud of him as a Marine.T.F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01427746842173236713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-2552413028357750342009-09-15T19:35:11.543-05:002009-09-15T19:35:11.543-05:00I just wanted to let you know that I stumbled upon...I just wanted to let you know that I stumbled upon your Old Testament maps as I was searching for resources for an Intro to the Bible series I am giving this week at the High School I work at. I think they are great! Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-51295558712939173172009-09-14T09:13:15.298-05:002009-09-14T09:13:15.298-05:00Good point Roger. The Bible already tells us what ...Good point Roger. The Bible already tells us what we are to do and what people need. We must continue to combine faithfulness and productivity.Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16337847520320908714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-11427368628001949162009-09-14T07:50:32.588-05:002009-09-14T07:50:32.588-05:00This message is not popular, but much of Jesus'...This message is not popular, but much of Jesus' message wasn't received as popular, especially by the religious leaders.<br /><br />My observation...ministry is about giving people what they need, not what they want. The people wanted a king, Jesus knew they needed a Savior. The people wanted to go back to the leeks and onions, God told them to go into the promised land.<br /><br />In our many Christian ministries, we poll the people, form focus groups...to find out what the people want. Which in our opinion will bring in more people to our various ministries. It becomes a popularity contest and in the end we give up the foundations of our faith and truth to appease a crowd, have greater numbers, meet the financial needs...<br /><br />Two books which I'm in the middle of at the same time which may address this topic, Already Gone by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer and Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions by George Barna. We will see.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11514723103229845764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-59502660064236263522009-09-13T21:52:30.462-05:002009-09-13T21:52:30.462-05:00Besides "most" youth groups, I would lik...Besides "most" youth groups, I would like to include "most" Christian schools, also. I spent 8 years in 3 different Christian schools over the last 20 years. If I could go back and do things different as a parent I would do these two things differently:<br /><br />1) Not send my kids to any youth group or any youth camp or any youth services. In a simple summary, words like "shallow", "unbiblical", and "emotional" really sum it up what I have seen in youth groups over the last 30 years.<br /><br />2) I would never put my sons in any Christian school again. Some of the most intensely reversionistic lifestyles, doctrines, and attitudes are found in Christian schools. I told one of the schools before I left (as they wanted to stop offending people with talk about Jesus as the only way, wanted to stop talk about hell, they encouraged salvation by baptism if people wanted, and changed doctrines so as not to offend the parents with $$, etc.), I told them, just because you slap the word "Christian" on your school name doesn't mean you are "Christian". It takes a little more effort and study and discipline than just coming up with a school name. <br /><br />I know I am not alone in this insight. There is a generation of Christian youth group members and Christian school kids trying to recover from their disillusionment and fake Christian experiences.Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16337847520320908714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-29200974511275466192009-09-13T12:01:20.631-05:002009-09-13T12:01:20.631-05:00I would agree with Shane's belief about the &q...I would agree with Shane's belief about the "siloing" of our generations in our ministries. I learned to pray by being with God's saints in prayer meetings on Wednesday nights... We have little interaction between the generations from our homes to our ministries and have lost hearing the insights, wisdom or even watching them react to life around them.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11514723103229845764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-39719397180000724992009-09-12T23:47:35.870-05:002009-09-12T23:47:35.870-05:00Agreed whether it is education or discipleship the...Agreed whether it is education or discipleship the parents are to be the ones who are ultimately responsible.<br /><br />I wouldn't quite go as far to say "most" youth groups are worthless, but I do understand where you are coming from.<br /><br />I think we're seeing a shift back with a focus on discipleship. Again families need to understand that it's a supplement to what they are to be doing. Also, I don't like this trend that I'm seeing in churches with teens having their own worship service, children going off to their own and then families aren't worshiping together. Not good.Shane Vander Harthttp://caffeinatedthoughts.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5624905277586087152.post-51520926113751226622009-09-12T20:19:09.164-05:002009-09-12T20:19:09.164-05:00At the supper table, as he listened to conversatio...At the supper table, as he listened to conversations I had with friends, my own lifestyle and attitude. Sometimes it is best not to talk about it until one day he is shocked to hear the "unnatural" things done in "darkness" and easily forms his own opinions. Paul spoke of this when he tells us to be ignorant of evil.<br /><br />It is amazing how many things kids pick up by just hanging around and being in the mix of things with their parents. I can not say I ever sat down and told my sons, "Listen, there are somethings I need to tell you about the world." Nor, did I have a study series I picked up at the Christian bookstore to help me explain what I thought. But, there are many times, and they will agree, that I went off on some sermonette criticizing the headlines of the Des Moines Register or some ungodly, liberal editorial during breakfast or on the way out the door to get to work. There were times they honestly challenged me in order to discover the logic or defense of what I believed. This always happens when they came home from college or some other secular, humanistic situation. <br /><br />Ultimately, the boys all make their own choices and decisions in life. No one should think otherwise since Adam proved that he didn't need to follow God's advice himself. There have been times I have told my boys that "I don't care what you do because I have already made my choices. Your choices effect you and I will only have to answer for my own. Good luck." (This was, of course, never spoken to a 12 year old, but to each of them as they moved through the 17-20 year old range.Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16337847520320908714noreply@blogger.com