Mysterious Confession of Freedom (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

Paul tells us that Godliness is a mystery in 1 Timothy 3:16.  Saying that Godliness is a mysteryis a pretty profound statement because Paul is encouraging Timothy to stand against agitators in Ephesus.  How can such a statement encourage Timothy?  How can such a statement help Timothy refute the false teaching that is entering the church?  So, what happens if we lose sight of Christ being our life blood and nourishing us in our redemption?  What happens if we fail to see that Godliness is a mystery?

The Absurdity of Prayer (Psalm 50 (LD 45)

Our catechism moves from the law of God that we obey out of gratitude to teaching us about prayer.  It does seem a bit strange that as Calvinists we would pray and that our confessional documents would have strong language regarding the necessity of prayer.  Why pray if everything is determined?  What can prayer do for us in our Christian life?  Do we pray to change the will of God or do we pray for another reason?

Our Mysterious Profession (1 Timothy 3:14-16)

The apostle Paul has exhorted the church to use the law of God in a lawful manner.  How do we know if we are using the law of God lawfully?  How do we grow in our Christian life if Paul himself states that Godliness is a mystery?  If it is a mystery how do we know if we are growing?

The Absurdity of Struggle (Matthew 26:36-46 (LD 44; COD Head 5 Art. 4)

The Christian life is something that ebbs and flows with ups and downs.  There are times when we face tests and struggle to persevere through those tests.  There are also times when we face temptations in the weakness of our flesh making it challenging to persevere through this life.  How do we keep a proper perspective on heaven?  How do we keep our focus on the goal of heaven and glory?  Where do we find our strength and power?  What can we learn from Christ interacting with his disciples?

Ordained Servants (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:8-13)

What is the office of deacon?   How are we to view this office, and who is qualified to serve in this office?  Is this an office that is for women, men, men and women, or just men?  How does Paul prescribe the duties for this office? 

The Absurdity of Truth (Luke 6:20-49 (LD 43)

In our day and age we do not esteem truth.  This is not to say that our days are worse than other days in history, but philosophically there are those who do not believe we can understand truth.  In fact, people have appealed to history showing that the winner of a battle is the one who controls the narrative of the battle.  So, if this is true then what about the Bible?  What do we do with people having different understandings of the Word of God?  Is there truth and can we know truth?

Overseeing Christ’s Church (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

The leaders of the church should desire to rule their lives and the church by the Lord’s standard.  If the Lord’s standard is perfection then how can we be qualified to lead if we are struggling sinners?  If Timothy is serving a church that has struggles then how can Timothy ordain leaders?  What qualifications should he look for in a leader?  How do we know if we should aspire to hold leadership in a church?

The Absurdity of Honest Business (LD 42; Deuteronomy 25:13-19)

There is a certain wisdom in cheating people out of money in terms of worldly wisdom.  It would seem that we would get ahead and increase our earnings.  We want to believe that if we cheat to get ahead it will not really cost us anything and it will make our business ventures all that much more profitable.  This is not what the Lord would have us do.  The Lord does not see such deceptive practices as honorable to HIm.  In fact, we find that Moses makes explicit that we are not to have two different kinds of weights in our house.  Why is Moses concerned about the Israelites having two sets of weights?  What is the problem of us having a different weight in a bag and a different weight in the house?  How can we use this old standard to learn how to live a pleasing life to the Lord today.

Living the Quiet and Peaceful Life (1 Timothy 2:8-15)

When people hear about Christianity and gender distinctions they tend to dismiss the Bible thinking that it is just some archaic book that does not understand our contemporary times.  Is this really fair or the intention of the Word of God?   So, how do we know that men and women are different?  How do we know that this distinction was intentional from the creation?  How do we know that this distinction is respectable and is something that we can celebrate as we celebrate the distinctive gifts of man and woman?

The Absurdity of Purity (1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (LD 41)

The reality is that Christians are a people set apart unto the Lord and called to honor the Lord as His redeemed people.  This notion of living for another being is something that just is so contrary to worldly wisdom.  The world desires that we live out and have our best life right now. So, why would we seek to honor the Lord and live for Him instead of self?  How is living for the Lord something is actually a way more gratifying way to live than living for self?

The Star of Christmas (Numbers 24:10-25)

Balak has been paying Balaam to manipulate and to change the promises of the Lord.  They have offered the Lord the highest and greatest offerings to win the favor of God.  The Lord has responded to the sacrifices, but not in the way that Balak had hoped.  The Lord has continued to restate His promises to this man.  Now, in this fourth oracle something that changed.  There are no sacrifices, but the Lord reminds these men, and us today that his battle plan is fixed.  What is the significance of this oracle?  What does this tell us about the Christmas story?

Christmas is Coming! (Numbers 23:25-24:11)

Balak is beginning to realize that he cannot control the Lord.  However, he still tries by bringing Balaam to the Lord’s enemy territory.  The diviner follows Balak’s lead by going to the enemy territory.  Is Balaam able to curse the people of God even as they are camping in the wildness?  Is Baal able to overpower our God?  How does our God  make clear that the Lord will establish the true Christmas day?

The Absurdity of Mercy (Matthew 5:1-12 (LD 40)

Christ teaches from the sermon on the mount that murder is far deeper than just taking a human life.  Christ teaches that if we desire to harm, avenge, or even hate then we are guilty of murder.  What is the opposite of murder?  How do we discover a Christian ethic as we consider the opposite of murder?  How does the Christian ethic make us realize our glorious placement in this kingdom?

Christmas’ Covenantal Confidence (Numbers 23:1-27)

The Lord has made a promise to his people that he will bring them to glory.  His people have messed up really bad, and so does the Lord really desire to establish His people?  How do we know that the Lord can and will do this?  How strong is the Lord? Is there a god, a prophet, or another power that can derail the Lord’s promises?  Balaam and Balak think they can, but can they?

Christmas’ Weak Diviner (Numbers 22:22-35)

The Lord has made a promise to his people that he will bring them to glory.  Is the Lord really able to do this?  How do we know that the Lord can and will do this?  How strong is the Lord? Is there a god, a prophet, or another power that can derail the Lord’s promises?  Balaam and Balak think they can, but can they?

The Absurd Christian Home (LD 39; Colossians 3:18-4:1)

Today we think that we have the luxury of evaluating what a Christian home looks like.  There is a real temptation to think hat because our day and age is so different from Paul’s time that we can reevaluate the home.  There is no doubt that people have abused their roles as husbands and as wives, but does that change what the Lord has ordained?  What has the Lord ordained and how is Paul’s model for the home something good and honorable even today?  How can we as a family benefit from Paul’s words?

The Sabbath’s Answer to Absurd Anxiety (1 Peter 5:6-11 (LD 38; COD Head 5 Art. 14, 15)

There are many things in this life that can upset us and even overwhelm us.  Peter affirms the reality of the hardship in the Christian life as he tells us that we have our own struggles, the world, and Satan is out to destroy us.  These things make it pretty difficult for us to maintain a positive outlook in our perseverance.  So, how do we know that we will arrive at the goal of heaven?  Where do we turn in our darkest moments?  Where is our hope in this Christian life?

At Peace in the Lord (1 Timothy 2:1-7)

Paul exhorts christians to live a peaceful and quiet life.  Why would Paul say such a thing?  It would seem more beneficial to be more concerned about intervening.  How are we to live this way?  How do we know that this exhortation is not the same thing as Paul saying we are merely lazy?  How do we live a meaningful life in the Lord as life in a peaceful and quiet way?

Thankful for Cleansing (Luke 17:11-19)

There are ten lepers that are cleansed by the word of Christ.  There is one who returns to thank Christ.  Why is the one so alarming?  What can this passage communicate to us about Thanksgiving?

The Absurdity of Blasphemy (2) (Deuteronomy 6:13 (LD 37)

The basis of our Christian ethic is that we live our lives before the Lord.  This is really the beginning or the foundation of the Christian ethic that we live before the Lord as we walk in His power.  How is the command not the blaspheme the Lord much bigger than we thought?  How can this commandment regarding blasphemy encompass this whole ethic and orientation in this age?