November 2011
16 posts
2 tags
NT Quest Day 232 - John 17
Scripture:
John 17:
1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
Observation:
Couple of observations. Jesus prayer for himself is the shortest of the three. Not real sure this means anything but it’s interesting nonetheless. Three things Jesus does before he dies. He prays for himself. For his...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 231 - John 16
Scripture:
John 16:
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 230 - John 15
Scripture:
John 15: 5“I am the vine; you are the branches.
Observation:
One of my all time favorite passages of scripture. My good friend Doug Cecil explains it this way. Abide (vss. 1-8) Love (vss. 9-17) Reach (vss. 18-27).
I like…Truth, Community, and Purpose.
We must abide in Christ… truth and life is found there. We must love God and each other…that is where real community...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 229 - John 14
Scripture:
John 14:
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
Observation:
Jesus has just dropped a pretty big bombshell (Chp. 13) on the disciples with the predictions of Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial. Now he comforts them…And he takes a whole chapter to do it.
Application:
I’m surprised that I have often read these verses as “sound-bites”. There are so...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 228 - John 13
Scripture:
John 13: 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
Observation:
Jesus models what it means to serve by washing the feet of his disciples. In response he encourages them to do the same for others.
Application:
Jesus models for the disciples what true servanthood looks like then… bam… Judas and Peter. It would be easy to...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 227 - John 12
Scripture:
John 12:
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well
Observation:
Jesus is anointed by Mary and questioned why she would waste such an expensive perfume. Lazarus is there as well and many had come to see him…post resurrection. On account of the impact he was having for Jesus…the chief priests made plans to kill him.
Application:
I’m very familiar with...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 226 - John 11
Scripture:
John 11:
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
Observation:
Jesus delays going to Lazarus. Lazarus as a result…dies.
Application:
I can’t remember where I read this but one possible explanation (and I think a pretty likely one) for why Jesus delays going to Lazarus… is that he spent...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 225 - John 10
Scripture:
John 10:
11″I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14″I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 224 - John 9
Scripture:
John 9:
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ[a] would be put out of the...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 223 - John 8
Scripture:
John 8:
14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 222 - John 7
Scripture:
John 7: 16Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
...
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NT Quest Day 221 - John 6
Scripture:
John 6: 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” 66From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. Observation: They just couldn’t do it anymore. ...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 220 - John 5
Scripture:
John 5:
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Observation:
Life is...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 219 - John 4
Scripture:
John 4:
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 218 - John 3
Scripture:
John 3:
27 To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ[j] but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete....
2 tags
NT Quest Day 217 - John 2
Scripture:
John 2:
11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Observation:
John is keen to Jesus miracles. He records them more than the other Gospel writers. This is Jesus’ first miracle. It was obviously moving for the disciples.
Application:
Can you remember when you first...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 216 - John 1
Scripture:
John 1:
6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.[b]
Observation:
John prepares the way for Jesus by testifying about...
September 2011
5 posts
2 tags
NT Quest Day 177 - Romans 14
Scripture:
Romans 14: 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 176 - Romans 13
Scripture:
Romans 13: 8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Observation:
Love is a debt. It’s a debt that we owe to each other. Personally, I don’t like debt. I don’t like the idea of owing anyone anything. We’ve got one credit card and we pay it off every month. As far as we can help it we...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 175 - Romans 12
Scripture:
Romans 12: 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Observation:
This is what I love about reading through an entire book of the Bible. I’m noticing things that I would have missed if I had just read a passage or two from this book or that book. Up to this...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 174 - Romans 11
Scripture:
Romans 11: 28As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31so they too have now become disobedient in order that they...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 173 - Romans 10
Scripture:
Romans 10:
9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12For there is no difference between...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 172 - Romans 9
Scripture:
Romans 9: 16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.
Observation:
You have heard the saying…“The road to hell…is paved with good intentions” Here’s what it means: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” (proverb) says that sometimes we do the wrong thing even though we had intended to do the right thing; our actions have bad...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 171 - Romans 8
Scripture:
Romans 8:
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Observation:
This is where God is so cool. The law (the Torah).. first 5 books of the Bible… Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers… was given not as a “first...
August 2011
23 posts
2 tags
NT Quest Day 170 - Romans 7
Scripture:
Romans 7: 13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes. (NLT)
Observation:
Paul describes here in chapter 7 the struggle that all Christ followers battle. We recognize what is good. God...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 169 - Romans 6
Scripture:
Romans 6: 15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 168 - Romans 5
Scripture:
Romans 5: 18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Observation: Verses 12-17 can pretty much...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 167 - Romans 4
Scripture:
Romans 4: 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 166 - Romans 3
Scripture:
Romans 3:
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” (NLT)
Observation:
Wow. Romans 3. Amazing stuff. It would be easy to go with...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 165 - Romans 2
Scripture:
Romans 2:
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”[a]7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 164 - Romans 1
Scripture:
Romans 1: 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 163 - Matthew 28
Scripture:
Matthew 28: 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.
Observation:
How good is the news that Jesus has risen from the dead? It’s more than good news…It’s the best news. Here’s a couple of reasons...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 162 - Matthew 27
Scripture:
Matthew 27:
62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 161 - Matthew 26
Scripture:
Matthew 26: 6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.
Observation:
This woman proved her trust and belief in Jesus by anointing him for his ultimate purpose. When others refused to believe she gave the most precious thing she...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 160 - Matthew 25
Scripture:
Matthew 25:
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Observation:
Separating Sheep from goats means separating those who truly love and follow Jesus from those who don’t.
So how do you know the difference? Who truly loves Jesus? He answers the question for us… 35 For I was hungry...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 159 - Matthew 24
Scripture:
Matthew 24: 42”Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 158 - Matthew 23
Scripture:
Matthew 23: 23”Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Observation:
I love...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 157 - Matthew 22
Scripture:
Matthew 22: 36”Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 156 - Matthew 21
Scripture:
Matthew 21:
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered.
Observation:
Beginning with this parable Jesus tells three parables in a row that basically reject the Jewish leadership. It’s never more obvious than in this first parable of the two sons. It’s the difference between promise and performance.
One son initially rejects his...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 155 - Matthew 20
Scripture:
Matthew 20:
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
Observation:
A Mother’s request. One son at Jesus right and one at his left. Jesus however knows these places are not for him to grant. They would suffer like Jesus did but to be really great meant to serve. That is why Jesus himself came.
...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 154 - Matthew 19
Scripture:
Matthew 19:
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Read that verse again. Let it sink in. Do you hear it? It’s the great contradiction. “he went away sad”…why? “because he had great wealth.”
Observation:
This blog entry is not mean to bash the wealthy. I know many who love Jesus, serve the Father, and...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 153 - Matthew 18
Scripture:
Matthew 18: 32”Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
Observation:
Mercy...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 152 - Matthew 17
Scripture:
Matthew 17:
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.[a]”
Observation:
After their inability to drive out...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 151 - Matthew 16
Scripture:
Matthew 16: 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his lifea will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 150 - Matthew 15
Scripture:
Matthew 15 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ ” 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a...
July 2011
20 posts
2 tags
NT Quest Day 149 - Matthew 14
Scripture:
Matthew 14:
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Observation:
This is a tough day for Jesus. He has just heard of John the Baptist’s demise. Looking for some time...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 148 - Matthew 13
Scripture:
Matthew 13:
10The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 16But blessed are your eyes...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 147 - Matthew 12
Scripture:
Matthew 12:
33”Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 146 - Matthew 11
Scripture:
Matthew 11:
28”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Observation:
Jesus is our ultimate relief. Our burden is his. He will ultimately give us rest.
I remember when I...
2 tags
NT Quest Day 145 - Matthew 10
Scripture:
Matthew 10: 37”Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Observation:
This is a passage that is difficult to...