Bible Study

This Wednesday we will be putting into practice the procedures we discussed on how to study the Bible. Enclosed is the summary of the steps involved. For those joining us please review 2 Corinthians 12:9 and apply the study principles in sequence. Please join us and share your conclusions.

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

7 Steps in Searching the Scriptures:

The essence of this Bible study method is an approach that focuses on the text of the Bible. Bible study tools are used for secondary guidance. Commentaries are considered as a third level. Finally, careful meditation is encouraged for personal enrichment, clarification, and application.

1. Context Review:

Usage determines meaning. The text of Scripture must be read in light of its original setting in order to discover the authors meaning. The context of a passage includes its immediate, intermediate, and remote environment.

2. Compare Versions:

It is helpful to see how various translators treat a Bible passage. Keep in mind the translations utilize different translation theories such as formal equivalence (word for word), dynamic equivalence (thought for thought), and free (idea for idea, paraphrase).

3. Cross Reference:

Scripture interprets Scripture. It is helpful to see a similar passage or concept treated in another section of the Bible. Sometimes a particular passage is actually a direct quotation.

4. Consider Key Words:

Understanding a particular word an author chooses can make a significant contribution to ones understanding. It is also helpful to notice the grammatical construction in which those words are used.

5. Check Background:

The historical setting of a passage gives clues to various references in the text that are expected to be understood by the culture and the time in which the text was written. In addition, the type of literature will also influence ones understanding of the authors meaning.

6. Consult Commentaries:

Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun. Consulting commentaries may help keep ones interpretation analogous to the faith. Consulting them last, from an informed position, may help one to achieve a greater level of understanding.

7. Contemplate:

The blessed man in the first Psalm meditated on the Bible day and night. Thinking about the Word of God will allow ones thoughts to be clarified. Meditation gives the Word a chance to take root in your life, and blossom into spiritual fruitfulness.

It is more essential to spend time in the Word of God and in prayer than to follow any particular study method. It is hoped that this model may be an encouragement for you to find a greater satisfaction in Christ through Bible study. It is my prayer that this method helps you to cherish God more deeply and communicate His grace more fully. Grace be with you, Wayne Layton

Pray Always

"pray without ceasing," (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV)

Recently I heard a message on prayer by John Piper. He states that prayer is intentionally conveying a message to God. Piper was very careful with the wording of this statement. He went on to explain that prayer is not necessarily talking because at times conveying a message to God may be not much more than a groan (Romans 8:26). Prayer is not communicating to God because usually communication conveys a two sided conversation. Prayer is addressing God. God addresses us through His Word. Finally the concept of intentionality is important because we constantly address God through our action and attitudes. We may act like He is not important in our behavior, but we are not intentionally trying to send that message. I think Piper provides an excellent definition of prayer.

In the middle of his sermon Piper also said something that caused me to think about prayer a little differently. He said that he would hope people would be in such constant prayer that they prayed before and after every event in their life. Examples were given such as “begin each email with prayer and end it in prayer.” Or “begin watching television by praying and ending by praying.” That is a radical way of living that is worth pursuing. I am not sure to what degree we can actually function in life by adopting that principle, but I sure think it would be worth a try.

Tonight in our prayer meeting I intend to challenge our folks at LABC to consider adopting the aforementioned advice on how they can pray always. I may add that we should not only begin and end events with prayer, but we should also pray during whatever we are engaged in. Perhaps if we followed that model we may actually fulfill the command to “pray without ceasing” from time to time. What do you think?

Pray: Your will be done

"In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV)

Last night in our series Growing in Grace we continued in our study on the model prayer. Specifically we noticed the line “your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” God is a sovereign God and so there is a sense in which His will always get done.
"… Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it." (Isaiah 46:11)

In His providence or supervision of all things God orchestrates all things according to His will including our salvation.

"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will," (Ephesians 1:11, NKJV)

Yet there is another sense in which His will is not done. Many reject the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Many will perish forever. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God has compassion on mankind and desires that all men be saved.

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV)

In the model prayer then we are addressing God and asking Him to accomplish His sovereign will or the will of His decree and we are asking Him to accomplish His desire that His will be done here on here on earth perfectly as it is done in heaven. Our prayers are more than exercises in communication, God uses means to accomplish His will and one of the means is our prayers. How does God do that? I am not sure but I will trust Him and fulfill His declared will in my life to pray without ceasing that His will be done.

"pray without ceasing," (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV)

Our Father

"In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV)

On Wednesday evenings we are continuing in our study on prayer. For the next couple of weeks we will review the pattern of prayer as outlined in the model prayer. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray in Luke 11, Jesus gave them this model prayer also found here in Matthew.

The point of this prayer is not to memorize and recite it, but to use it as a guideline when we pray. It is important to pay attention to the particular attention the elements of this prayer. In this prayer you will find three essential elements to prayer.

· Praise to God
· Penitence of sin
· Petition of God

Praise to God begins with the statement “Our Father hallowed be your name.” Penitence can be found in the request to for forgiveness, “forgive us our debts.” Petition of God can be found in a number of statements including, “give us” and “deliver us.”

This prayer opens with the statement “Our Father.” God is the father of all mankind in that He created everyone (Malachi 2:10). Due to the fall of man God’s sons are condemned (John 8:44) and are now in a sense sons of the Devil. By His grace God has redeemed some and thus they are His chosen sons (John 1:12-13)

If you are one of God’s redeemed and thus chosen sons you can pray every day to God who is truly your Father. As His son you have a unique relationship with God as your father who is perfectly attentive and will listen and answer your prayers according to His will and wisdom which is always good.

Not only is God your father but He is also our father. The “our” mentioned reminds us that as we pray we pray as a community of faith. We are a people of God truly brothers and sisters in Christ whose unique relationship will endure forever.

I encourage you to consider the model prayer this week as a guideline for meaningful prayer.

Pray for Salvation

Last night we continued with our discussion on prayer. Specifically we dealt with the concept of praying for the Salvation of people. Based on a Biblical model we encouraged each other to consider including praying for co-workers, family members, friends, and strangers that they may see the beauty of Christ turn from their sin, and call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

"… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10, NKJV)

God is sovereign in salvation. That is why Christians from most every theological position pray that God will open the heart of the unbeliever.

Acts 16:14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

Consider the following facts:

· God does all things according to His will

Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

· People are born again by the will of God.

John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

· God choose men to be adopted in the family of God at the beginning of time.

Ephesians 1:4-5 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will

If we affirm these facts then why should we bother praying? After all it appears that God has already made His decision.

Some have suggested that well even though God has already made His sovereign choice He wants us to pray because we are commanded to pray and prayer is good for us. While I would not dispute that we God commands us to pray and that prayer is good for us, I suggest that God in His providence actually uses prayer to accomplish His will.

God has chosen the means to accomplish His will. For example, faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) but the means by which that faith is distributed is through the proclamation of His Word.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17, NKJV)
I may not be able to explain how God accomplishes His will in this world, but He has invited us to be a vital part of the process. Our calling is to pray without ceasing and participate in our commission as ambassadors for Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Why have You forsaken me?

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?" (Psalm 22:1, NKJV)

Have you ever felt forsaken by God and alone? Well you are not alone in that thought. In the 22nd Psalm David continues for the next twenty verses pouring out his heart as he feels abandoned by God.

There are times when everything has gone wrong and it seems like God is no longer interested in your well being. This Psalm was quoted fifteen times in the New Testament in reference to Christ’s treatment. In his humanity Jesus cried out “My God My God why have you abandoned me?” (Matt 27:46).

Sometimes we rightly feel abandoned due to the direct consequences of our sin. Other times we may feel abandoned because we live in a cursed earth and are affected indirectly by the circumstances of sin. In either case the solution is to look to God for deliverance.

In verse 22 David declares the answer to his dilemma, "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You." (Psalm 22:22, NKJV)
Praise is an essential part of prayer to God because it allows us to see the circumstances and the consequences in this life in direct relationship to a good and gracious God who is always in control.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God." (Psalm 42:11, NKJV)

Join us Wednesday evening for our prayer time at LABC and praise God with our community of faith. We will be continuing in our series Growing in Grace. The focus this week is on the elements of prayer.

Pray for Forgiveness

"But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:15, NKJV)

One of the items about prayer that we discussed last night at our Wednesday evening service was the need to ask for forgiveness. Asking God for forgiveness of our sinful actions restores our “familial” relationship with God (Hebrews 12:3-11).

Another benefit to daily confession of sin is that it should remind us to forgive other people. In this life we will encounter many situations that are not resolved properly. Bitterness over a past relationship gone wrong can cause much personal harm in the present. It is no coincidence that Matthew 6:15 follows the Lord’s Prayer.

A key element of the Lord’s Prayer is a request for God to “forgive us” (6:12). This request for forgiveness is tied to the manner in which we forgive other people. If we cannot forgive other we should not ask God to forgive us.

If you are having a difficulty in granting forgiveness to your fellow man confess that sin and pray that God would give you the grace to offer forgiveness by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear." (Psalm 66:18, NKJV)

Prayer of Penitence

"pray without ceasing,"

(1 Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV)

In addition to our special time of prayer this evening we will also be discussing prayer. Last week we emphasized that one of the elements of our prayer life should be our praise to God. Tonight we will discuss another essential element in prayer, our penitence towards God. By penitence we mean a repentant heart that asks God for forgiveness of sin.

Some may wonder why Christians need to regularly ask for forgiveness since all our sins are already forgiven in Christ (Romans 8:1). For the Christian, asking for forgiveness is necessary because even though our positional relationship with God as sons and daughters is not in jeopardy, our paternal relationship can be affected (Psalm 66:18). The solution to reestablishing our relationship is in confession of sin.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, NKJV)

If you plan to join us this evening for our prayer and Bible study time you may want to spend a few moments reviewing Hebrews 12:3-11 to prepare for our discussion time.

Prayer of Praise

" As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance." (Psalm 42:1-5, NKJV)

Last night in our Wednesday evening prayer service we focused our discussion on prayer. Specifically we dealt with the idea that praise should be included in our prayers. It is no coincidence that the model prayer found in Luke 11 and Matthew 6 begin with “Our Father hallowed be your name.” A major element of our prayers should be the praise towards God.

We praise God not because He needs flattery or affirmation. God does not need anything (Acts 17:24-25). We praise God because we need to be reminded of the greatness of God. The psalms are full of phrases that glorify the character and work of God.

When God is big our problems are small.

I encourage you to consider adding a large dose of praise to God in your prayers today. Thank Him for who He is and what He has done. I assure you this prayer of praise will give you assurance for what He will do.

"I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works." (Psalm 145:5, NKJV)

Growing in Grace: Introduction to Prayer

On Wednesday evenings we are going through a series called Growing in Grace. This series is a review of some of the practical doctrines of the Christian faith. For the next few weeks we will focus on prayer.

Last week we introduced prayer by attempting both to define and describe prayer. We pointed to the definition as provided by John Piper. “Prayer is intentionally conveying a message to God.” Several things are intended by this definition, but mostly that prayer is an address to God not a reception of God’s communication to man. We call God’s communication to us revelation or illumination.

The apostle Paul challenges us to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5:17) By this he means that our prayers should be intentional, persistent, and regular.
Join us this evening at 7:00 as we spend time in congregational prayer. We will also be discussing the practical aspects of how to pray.