Getting the Most Out of God’s Word For personal devotion or group discussion
A Guide for Reading and Listening to God’s Word
a journey of discovery
Magnolia Baptist Church
WELCOME ALONG I believe there is no greater journey one can engage in life than to know Jesus of Nazareth...the Christ...the Son of God.
CONTENTS
WELCOME ALONG
MAPPING JESUS’ LIFE
TIMELINE OF JESUS part 3
HELPFUL ONLINE TOOLS
DAY SIXTEEN: The Healing Pool
DAY SEVENTEEN: Lord of the Sabbath
DAY EIGHTEEN: Healing the Sick
DAY NIETEEN: “Are you the One?”
DAY TWENTY: Finding Rest
Paul, a leader in the early foundations of Christianity, wrote “For me to live is Christ…” (Philippians 1:27). Nothing else was more important to Paul. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8) I agree with Paul. There is nothing in my life more incredible than knowing Jesus. The words and ways of Jesus guide and enhance every facet of my life...at home with my wife and kids, at work, and in my community. Does that make me perfect? No. I blow it...big time. But it put me in a right relationship with Jesus...being a follower. This guide is a journey of discovery...of knowing Jesus. My hope in putting this together is to help guide you along this journey; to guide you into a personal discovery of Jesus in ways, that perhaps, you haven't thought of before; to introduce you to a very real Jesus who had a family and friends, knew incredible affirmation and suffered painful rejection; who knew hunger and thirst; who lived and died and lives again! Take courage and take the journey to discover Jesus: the Lamb of God who takes away sin, the son of Joseph and Mary, the Christ, the Messiah, the Lion of Judah, the Son of Man, the Son of God. In knowing Jesus more deeply, I hope also that you come to know yourself more clearly. That as you know Him more, you more and more become like Jesus and truly discover not just a person or a moment in history, but that you truly discover life in His name. Blessings, Jeremy K. Bratcher Senior Pastor
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH
MAPPING JESUS’ LIFE
TIMELINE of JESUS’ LIFE Jesus Visits Jerusalem for a second Passover April, 27 A.D. Jerusalem Healing at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath day (Jn 5:1-47). Healing in the Synagogue on the Sabbath day (Mat 12:9-14; Mk 3:1-6, Lk 6:6-11). And in His Name Gentiles Will Trust (Mat 12:15-21; Mk 3:7-12) Then He Appointed Twelve (Mat 10:2-4; Mk 3:13-19; Lk 6: 12-19). The Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5-7; Lk 6:20-49). A Certain Centurion's Servant (Mat 8:5-13; Lk 7:1-10). Nain Raises the Dead Son at Nain (Lk 7:11-17). Are You the Coming One? (Mat 11:2-19; Lk 7:18-35). My Yoke is Easy and My Burden is Light (Mat 11:20-30). Capernaum The Woman With the Alabaster Flask (Lk 7:36-50). Mary Called Magdalene (Lk 8:1-3). The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Mat 12:22-37; Mk 3: 19-30; Lk 11:14-20). Teacher, We Want to See a Sign From You (Mat 12:38-45; Lk 11:16-36). Woe to You, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites (Lk 11:37-54). He Began to Say to His Disciples (Lk 12:1-59). Parable of the Fig Tree (Lk 13:6-9). Parable of the Sower (Mat 13:1-23; Mk 4:1-25; Lk 8:4-18). Many Such Parables (Mat 13:24-53; Mk 4:26-34). Sea of Galilee Jesus Rebukes the Storm (Mat 8:18-27; Mk 4:35-41; Lk 8:22-25). The Herd of Many Swine (Mat 8:28-33; Mk 5:1-21; Lk 8:26-40).
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH
part three
Helpful Online Tools for Personal Bible Study www.bible.org Home of the NET Bible and incredible background study resources. The NET Bible is full of notes from some of the best Hebrew and Greek scholars of our day. Bible.org offers self-paced theological studies, outlines and study guides for each book of the Bible. Bible.org is key word searchable. Some of the language and presentation of the material is a bit more scholarly than other sites, but it is fairly accessible in understanding.
www.biblestudytools.com Great website for searching through the Bible. It offers several tools for study (as the name suggests): concordances, language tools, maps, commentaries...it even has an interlinear Bible (that is searchable and provides pronunciations and root word guides for those who desire to know more about Biblical Greek and Hebrew). This is a must link for anyone looking to study the word more. Thousands of dollars in print resources, all free for use here!
www.biblemap.org Created using Google maps, this site offers a satellite view of Bible lands. The map is linked to Bible references and is searchable by book and verse.
www.biblegateway.com This site offers a dozens of translations that are searchable by book, chapter and verse. You can even compare various translations here to see how the texts might be handled a bit differently. This site also offers several language translations.
www.youversion.com A great mobile Bible accessible through Blackberry, iPhone, and Android apps. There is now a windows/mac version of YouVersion available for desktop use. A great tool for anyone looking to keep the Word with them on the go!
www.preceptaustin.org PreceptAustin.org is an incredible website full of Bible studies, outlines, maps, Greek and Hebrew helps. I have recently added it to this list. It is absolutely worth your time to invest here during your personal Bible study.
www.soniclight.com SonicLight is the personal website of Dr. Tom Constable. Dr. Constable is an incredible Bible scholar with deep insight into God’s word. Working expositionally through the Scripture, Dr. Constable presents a thorough and understandable breakdown of God’s word.
After moving to Capernaum, Jesus makes the long journey to Jerusalem. Here he will attend the second Passover festival recorded in the Gospels. During the last Passover Jesus attended, he charged the leaders with turning the Temple into a “den of thieves” and challenged the crowd to make the Temple a place of worship once again (John 2:13-22). I wonder what kind of buzz was going throughout the city about Jesus?
ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?
Pray: Lord, help me to know you and your way more clearly. Read: John 5:1-47
DAY SIXTEEN: The Healing Pool
“When I was trying to earn Jesus by being good, I missed the real Jesus who wants us to love him and serve him not for what he gives but for who he is— dangerous, unpredictable, radical, and amazing.” ― Jefferson Bethke, Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough
As you read this passage, what most stood out to you?
Why do you think Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be healed?” (v. 6)?
Did the crowds and religious leaders respond rightly to this miracle? Why do you think this?
What questions do you still have?
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH
Reflect: “Do you want to be healed?” Who even asks that question? Your doctor? An emergency responder? God? Interesting isn’t it when considering the miracle working Son of God and healing. People argue all the time if miracles still happen today, yet we will consistently pray to God to “make everything o.k.” when something tragic happens. We don’t want our loved ones to suffer from cancer or serious injury. And so we pray to the miracle worker to do something. Do you believe miracles are for you? Maybe you sit back with cynical resolve, afraid to be disappointed, praying…”God, if you would, heal…” or “God, if it’s your will, heal…” And yet, there not far away, is the miracle worker...healer, provider, demonreliever, death-conqueror. Sometimes, I hear the Spirit whisper, “Do you want to be healed?” Physically, I’m fine. But there are things in my soul that still need renewing. I need the healing of the miracle worker—Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, Son of the Living God—to restore my soul. The real question is not “Do I believe can he do it for someone?” The real question is, “Am I that someone who wants the restoring and renewing of Jesus in my life?” What about you? Do you trust the miracle worker to restore you? When have you experienced God’s renewal?
Do you find different areas of your own life that are in need of renewal? List out a few of those areas.
Choose one area of your life where you need God’s renewing, restoring miracle working power. Write out a prayer for renewal about what you chose.
The following passages record two associated stories of Jesus on the Sabbath day. Sabbath was significant for the Jews. It was directly connected to the seventh day of creation found in Genesis 2:1-3. The whole community rested. The religious laws regarding the Sabbath were exhausting...some even measured the distance one could walk and not be considered work! Let’s take a closer look at the interactions.
DAY SEVENTEEN: Lord of the Sabbath
Pray: Lord, you are the Lord of All. Help me to hold a high view of you and to order my thoughts about you in truth. Read: Matthew 12:1-14; Luke 6:1-11
In Matthew 12:1-14, when Jesus says, “For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.”, who was Jesus referring to?
“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not
What do you think Jesus means when he said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”?
prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than
Jesus went into a synagogue to teach and is approached by a man with a crippled right hand. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
enough for us.” How did the Pharisees respond? ― David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
How did Jesus respond to his own question?
What questions do you still have?
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH
Reflect: Jesus had come into the world. With him also came the fullness of God’s Kingdom. Who makes the rules in God’s Kingdom? You and me or God? In this ancient encounter, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were the rule makers. Jesus knew these leaders were controlling and manipulative. Standing before them he directly challenged them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or destroy it?” With that, he healed a crippled man. The text tell us, “But they were filled with fury…” Have you ever witnessed or heard of an amazing encounter someone else had with God? Maybe it was a miracle or some “blessing” that was much needed. Maybe it was a “blessing” that felt too much for the person you heard from. The more you think about that encounter the less “Praise God” you become and find yourself jealous and angry over the encounter. “Why are they blessed and I’m not?”, you might wonder. And soon you find yourself disenchanted with God...pushing your own agenda over God’s. Sometimes we look for God in certain situations and have difficulty recognizing anything remotely connected to God. We struggle with the issues of evil and disease, famine and death. We recognize these for not being good. We long to see God. The Pharisees had a similar longing. Yet, when Jesus was so close, they continued to look for God far off...and missed what God was doing right in front of them. What expectations have you placed on God? Are these Biblically revealed or do they come from some other line of thought? (Here’s an example: Most people believe that God helps those who help themselves. That’s an expectation. Yet, this doesn’t come from the Bible it comes from Hercules and the Wagon Wheel, a fable by Aesop!)
Do you think false expectations about God have ever kept you from following Him or have at times moved you away from faith?
Pray: Today, pray that God would shape your expectations about Him in truth.
As Jesus continues to engage people during his time we see a major expansion of God’s kingdom. Regularly Jesus draws close to those on the fringes of society. This encounter is different. The man he encounters is not on the fringe, but deeply vested in the community. Beyond that Jesus models his teaching by continuing his reach to others. This time, Jesus steps into the life of a Roman Centurion Pray: Lord, thank you that work in mighty ways. Help me to be ever aware of your work in my life and in others around me.
DAY EIGHTEEN: Healing the Sick “We may speak about a place
Read: Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10
Look back at verses 1-10. Who initiates the conversation? Why do you think this is an important detail?
where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God.”
Why did the elders go to Jesus for the centurion?
― Max Lucado, Experiencing the Heart of Jesus: Knowing His Heart, Feeling His Love
What does the understanding of authority the centurion had say about how he saw Jesus?
What questions do you still have?
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH
Reflect: Jesus is a transcendent doer. Jesus is told, rightly, by the centurion’s servants, that he has a bit of a change of mind. He’s requested that Jesus come to his house, and then he thinks about it. “Jesus is busy, he’s got a lot going on. He doesn’t need to come to my house. All he needs to do is just give an order.” When you’re in authority, that’s how it works. What he’s saying is, “Jesus, you don’t need to be at my house.” And how generous is he? Where’s the servant? At his house. This man’s taking care of his friend. This is kind of like hospice care, those people who love and serve so well. Those people are amazing. He’s like that. “Jesus, you can heal from a distance.” This is good news for us because Jesus goes to the cross, dies for our sins, rises for our salvation, and ascends back into heaven. He’s seated on a throne today, ruling and reigning over all nations, kingdoms, peoples, times, and places. It seems like Jesus is far away—and you know what? He can heal from his throne. He can answer prayer from his throne. He can save and bless from his throne. He doesn’t need to come to your house; he can through the presence of the Holy Spirit, but Jesus, from a distance, can still hear, and answer prayer, and do good works, and he does. Just like he didn’t have to go to the bedside of the sick man, he doesn’t need to go anywhere. He can answer prayer from his throne.
This encounter shows that there is no distance too great for God’s power and grace. Where are you in relationship to His grace and power working in your life?
Do you believe God does work closely in your life or do you sense God being far away?
How does physical distance hinder your relationship with God?
How can that be overcome by spiritual closeness?
Pray: Make your answer to the last question a focus of prayer today.
As Jesus continues to minister throughout the region, his cousin John, also known as the Baptizer, crosses the regional rulers, the Herods, in a bad way. John is arrested. He is set to die. From prison he sends his disciples to Jesus to find affirmation. Pray: Lord, doubt comes. I don’t like the way doubt and faith wrestle in my soul, but they do. Increase my faith. Show favor on me as I wrestle with my questions, fears and uncertainties. Be gracious in these moments Lord. Read: Matthew 11:1-19
DAY NINETEEN: “Are You the One?” “The moment God is figured out
John essentially asks two questions: “Are you the one?” and “Or shall we look for another?” Think of two different times in your life when you have asked yourself a similar version of these questions.
What was the circumstance behind the questioning?
with nice neat lines and definitions, we are no longer dealing with God.”
― Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
Was your faith affirmed or weakened as a result of the circumstance and questioning? Why do you think this?
What questions do you still have?
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH
Reflect: “Are you the one?” It’s funny how we continue to wrestle with similar God-issues whenever life gets hard. We opportunities we once were so confident about when difficulty comes: “Was this really your will for me to do this?” Sometimes we take a different approach to a doubt-struggles: “God have you already forgotten what you were doing?” Paul Tillich, a 20th Century German theologian expressed the struggle as such: “Doubt isn't the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.” The idea of who and what a Messiah was and was to do was a big controversy in the first century. John knew who the Messiah was, but Jesus' behavior of touching those who were unclean, taking a subtle approach to the Kingdom, and not overwhelming the country caused a crisis of faith. John the Baptist sits in a prison cell because of the actions of corrupt religious leaders and a cruel king. He is perplexed, confused, disoriented, and discouraged. He wonders if all of his faithfulness and mission were in vain; did he err, or was his passion misdirected? Was there someone else? Why was Jesus not doing what he expected Him to do? But, I suppose when we get honest about, God rarely does what WE EXPECT God to do and continues to fulfill his own desire in his time. And thus the dance of faith and doubt goes on. What causes crisis of faith with you? What do you do in these moments?
What challenges your faith right now?
How do you think God should respond to this?
Pray: Share your doubts and struggles with God right now. Pray for strengthened faith, courage and wisdom to take your next God-directed step.
As John’s disciples leave Jesus, a large crowd gathers around to listen to what Jesus has to say. Jesus shares about the greatness of John the Baptist from God’s perspective. Then his attention turns. He speaks to the crowd about the cities where he had worked miracles and in leaving the city, there was still profound unbelief. After this judgment, Jesus offers an invitation to the crowd.
ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?
Pray: Lord, help me to place me aside. Give me grace to yoke up with you. Read: Matthew 11:20-30
DAY TWENTY: Finding Rest
Read Matthew 11:20-24. If you were in that original crowd, what would be the hardest thing to hear? Why do you think this?
“The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are
What about Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:25-30 do you find most desirable?
obliged to act accordingly.” ― Søren Kierkegaard, Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard How do you see both of the passages as examples of learning from Jesus?
What questions do you still have?
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH
Reflect: Jesus challenges those who would follow after him. The first challenge is found in verses 25-27. It is a challenge of humility and faith. Jesus begins with a prayer of thanksgiving that the Father hasn’t revealed the depth of his will and love to the “wise and intelligent”. Have you ever engaged God in a such a manner that you felt like you had it all figured out and God didn’t? Maybe I’m the only one who has ever tried to tell God what to do. I think I’m probably in good company though...Moses...Abraham…David...Peter...all took their time with telling God how to do things. It didn’t really work out for them though. The challenge is for us to be dependent and trusting on who God is! To do that, I have to put myself aside. When I put myself aside, then comes Jesus’ invitation. “Come to me…and I will give you rest.” Having been put in our place, now Jesus gives us a place where we can find rest for the weariness and heavy burdens that life. But then there is another challenge. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…” At first, that yoke sounds like one more thing to do. One more burden. But this challenge is different. It connects with the first...put yourself aside...come to my side (a yoke linked animals side by side for easier farming). Don’t work so hard. Follow along with Jesus. Find rest for your soul. Suddenly we realize, we can’t pick up Jesus’ yoke unless we set everything else down. Then we see again that these words are spoken – revealed – to us...those very infants Jesus spoke of in verse 25...to the ones dependent on Jesus...to ones who can’t do everything for ourselves. Come to Jesus...find rest.
Where do you need to put yourself aside and take up a place next to Jesus?
How will doing this help you find peace in your life?
Plan a time to “rest in Christ” this weekend. Set aside the schedule. Set aside the busyness. Find rest in Christ.
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH SEEKS TO EMBODY A: Gospel-centered (I Cor. 15:1-4) Family-redeeming (Acts 16:25-34) City-focused (Jeremiah 29:7) Church Community (I Thess. 2:5-8) We value Gospel Proclamation believing that the 66 books of the Old & New Testament are our highest authority of God’s selfdisclosure and as it is faithfully explained, explored and expressed, the Holy Spirit will elicit a response. We value Gospel Community believing that people were created to explore the Gospel together with honest, vulnerable dialogue about difficult things pursuing depth in friendships to facilitate growth. We value Gospel Mission believing that the Gospel compels us to learn from, interact with, and generously give back to our culture in the way we live our lives.
MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH CONNECTING PEOPLE to JESUS 720 S. Magnolia Ave Anaheim, CA 92804 714.827.0553 ph www.magnoliabaptist.org