Genesis 18 - Key

v17

And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

v19

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

The Lord shows things to people that He knows will be righteous.

Application

Psalm 25:14

The secret of the LORD [is] with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

I'd love to find things out from the Lord, so I'll work on fearing Him.

Genesis 18 - Outline

v1-5

being the Lord's servant

v6-8

working quickly

v9-10

the promise was told again, seeming impossible

v11-15

The Lord and Sarah's argument

v16-22

the Lord shows secrets to the righteous

v23-33

Abraham's bargaining with the Lord

fishers of men

Mark 1

v17

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Let's remember the calling to be fishers of men. We should be going out and "bringing people in," to be Jesus' people with us.

even unto the end of the world

Matthew 28

v20

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

We should remember that Jesus promised, ...Lo, I am with you alway... because that's a great promise.

don't sin in the 1st place

Matthew 27

v3 & 4

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What [is that] to us? see thou [to that].

I've noticed that once I've done something wrong in the first place, like spoken to other people in a bad way, just apologizing for it afterward just isn't as good as not having done it in the first place.

I was just saying to someone the other day, You guys really seem to notice when I slip up, but not notice quite so much when I apologize for it. But that's not their fault. That's just the way things are naturally.

I'm still all for apologizing and doing our best to repent when we've sinned, but it would be so much better and save so much regret and everything if we just did what was right in the first place.

couldn't you watch for 1 hour?

Matthew 26

v40 & 41

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.

We shouldn't give in to temptation to "sleep" when we're supposed to be praying, or to other weaknesses like that. Sometimes we have to force our bodies to do what's right, like getting up in the morning when we feel like sleeping half of the day. We should bring our flesh (our physical bodies) under subjection to the Lord's Spirit.

Children's role in the Church

• What is the participation of children and young adults in our meeting?
• What are the parents expectations for them?

I think, not what it could be. According to the Bible, children should praise the Lord in the assembly:

Matthew 21:15 & 16

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

And young men should share out of the Word:

1 Timothy 4:12

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

• Are we we meeting the needs of children during the meetings?

I do not think that children's spiritual needs are fundamentally different from those of adults. However, I think it would help if children participated more. And we could have more preaching and teaching specifically geared toward children.

• Do young adults see value in staying?

Obviously, many don't. I'm glad that participation and staying came up as the same topic, because I think that if young people saw more opportunity and value in participation, they would see more value in staying. Our meetings present a unique opportunity for young people to participate in spiritual things.

Genesis 17 - Key

v1

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

The Lord gave Abram a call to a walk with the Lord, and a call to perfection. We ought to be inspired to the same calling.

Application

I'll regularly recommit my whole life to walk with the Lord.

Genesis 17 - Outline

v1-8

Abram's name was changed to Abraham

v9-14

the covenant of circumcision

v15-22

the promise of Isaac

v23-27

Abraham obeyed God and circumcised all the men

be faithful with little things

Matthew 25

v23

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

We should be faithful with the small things in our lives, and the Lord will reward us with bigger things. I should be faithful with my schedule and with my college classes.

faithfully wait

Matthew 24

v48 & 49

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

And shall begin to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

Drunkenness makes me think of a lack of self control, and excess of selfishness. We shouldn't use our time in those ways. We should be diligent and faithful, remembering that the Lord will come.

getting things inside out

Matthew 23

v28

Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

This is a classic problem among people trying to be religious: fasting, getting baptized, trying to get into a better situation in this world. People try to make themselves right by making things seem right on the outside, or on the outward appearance of things.

Many people even have this problem in the question of salvation and the salvation message. The popular gospel is that, People could have been saved if they kept the 10 commandments, and that Now people can be saved by believing and repenting from their sin (and sometimes making Jesus the Lord of their life,) but not just by believing. True belief, The New Gospel says, not only results in a change of action, but consists of a change in action on the part of the saved.

That false gospel is a gospel of salvation by works, because turning away from doing sin, improving one's outward actions, and making the Lord into the master of every area of one's life is good works.

The unpopular, age-old, true gospel, says, that being saved is not by anything good that we can do, but only by belief in our hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the free gift of the good things that He has done for us. We need to stop trying to make ourselves right by improving the outward appearance of our lives, and do things the right way. Have an honest change in the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, a change in what we believe and what we desire. Inner change will naturally translate into outward improvement, not the other way around.

Proverbs 3b - Key

Proverbs 3

v27 & 28

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it].

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

This is a good instruction to remember for all kinds of things. When we have the opportunity to do something good, like praying for somebody or preaching the gospel to somebody, we should be always ready and willing to take the opportunity without delay while we still have the chance.

priorities

Matthew 22

v5

But they made light of [it], and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

We should be ready for what the Lord wants for us, not too concerned with our own interests.

Genesis 16 - Key

v9

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

Sarai dealing with her handmaid reminded me of the Lord chastising us.

Proverbs 3:11

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

When bad things happen we should learn from them and be more godly.

Application

There's this one silly computer game that I have trouble playing for too much time. I tried to only play it for 15 minutes per day or less, but ended up not holding to that.

Several (small) bad things have been happening to me lately, related to me wasting time, like my laptop getting knocked down and its Internet connection not working for a while. I think I can take those things as the Lord's correction and learn to do better.

Now I'll make a new commitment to just play that game two days a week.

Genesis 16 - Outline

v1-3

Sarai's plan

v4-6

Hagar despised Sarai, so Sarai dealt with her

v7-9

don't despise the Lord's chastening

v10-12

the promise of Ishmael

v13-16

God who sees me

If ye have faith

Matthew 21

v21

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Here we see the importance of having faith, and the importance of having faith when we pray. We should read the Bible often because that's where faith comes from. We should pray and ask for faith, like the disciples said, Increase our faith. And we should have an attitude of faith, deciding to be happy, and to trust in the Lord, expecting Him to do good for us and to get His will.

don't be bossy

Matthew 20

v28

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

On Wednesday Jacob was talking about how we shouldn't be "bossy." I thought about that, and I think it's right. Just because I'm in charge of some other people doesn't mean I should overuse that authority. I should use it sparingly.

Proverbs 4 - Key

v20

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Wickedness or wisdom, it starts with your ears. I know that when I shouldn't be watching a particular video, hearing it can draw me into further temptation to watch it. We need to special attention to what we listen to.

v21a & 25

Next, what we look at is important. It's hard to get a bad scene out of our minds once it's in our memory.

v21b & 23

In the middle of the pathway is the heart. We need to guard our hearts by guarding the ways into and out of our hearts.

v24

The first and main pathway out of the heart is the mouth (Luke 6:45). If we want to be wise and not wicked, we need to pay special attention to speaking rightly (Psalm 141:3).

v26 & 27

CEF defines sin as anything you think, say, or do that does not please God. I've found that to be a useful definition for examining myself for sin. These last two verses are concerned with the last category of sin: Anything we do. I like the instruction in v27b, remove thy foot from evil.

Application

According to v24, I'll work on having right speech, by not complaining.

Proverbs 4 - Outline

v1-5

you can get wisdom from listening to your father

v6-9

wisdom is like a pleasant wife

• wisdom is the principle thing
• take care of wisdom, and wisdom will take care of you

v10-13

the pathway of wisdom: hold on tightly to instruction, because it's your life.

v14-17

the path of the wicked: don't get near it or you will fall

v18-27

stay on the right spiritual path, with your ears and your eyes, your heart, your mouth and your feet

to be rewarded abundantly

Matthew 19

v29

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

I didn't think about this verse as being about giving up things like it says, but I thought about how if we do something for the Lord, if we do what He wants, or give something up for Him, we won't regret it. We'll be rewarded abundantly.

Genesis 15 - Key

v1

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.

The Lord said that He was Abram's exceeding great reward. When we're tempted with the rewards of sin we should remember that if we believe in the Lord instead, He is our exceeding great reward.

Application

Sometimes when I've been tempted to sin lately, I tried to think of a Bible verse or truth to combat it. I'll think of this one next time.

Genesis 15 - Outline

v1-6

God gave Abram a precious promise, and He explained more details to Abram because he asked Him. Abram was counted to be righteous because he believed God.

v7 & 8

God gave Abram a promise about inheriting the land, and again Abram asked God about the promise.

v9-11

Abram set things up the mysterious way that the Lord asked him to

v12-16

the Lord told Abram what was going to happen in the future

v17-21

the Lord made the covenant with Abram

Matthew 18

v22

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

If you're keeping track of a number of sins, because you think you only have to forgive a certain number, you might as well give up keeping track-- Because the number is a lot bigger than you think.

Today let's remember to be forgiving.

dealing with problems

Matthew 17

v17

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

We could spend our time trying to entertain ourselves, and worrying about our problems... But it's much better to have the faith to spend time with the Lord, and bring our problems to Him.

Proverbs 3 - Key

v7

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Much of the reason I've given in to temptation when I have, is a lack of the fear of the Lord.

Application

When I'm tempted to do something wrong like wasting time, I'll remember to fear the Lord so that I go away from doing it.

Proverbs 3 - Outline

v1-10

benefits of the Lord's ways

v11 & 12

don't be weary of the Lord disciplining you

v13-18

the value of wisdom

v19 & 20

wisdom was there with the Lord during the creation

v21-26

peace and safety from wisdom

v27-30

how to treat neighbors: don't delay to do good

v31-35

don't envy oppressors: you reap what you sow

Christians' role in the world

Titus 2

v3-5

The older women are supposed to be teachers: teaching certain people, the young wives, certain good things, like obedience to their own husbands.

v5

Young wives with children are supposed to be keepers at home.

12-14

Every one of us is supposed to be zealous of good works.

Ephesians 4:28

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Finally, able-bodied young men are supposed to be workers.

Genesis 14 - Key

v23

That I will not [take] from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that [is] thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

I think this was because the people of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful. Abram didn't want to accept a reward from the wicked. We shouldn't do wrong even when there's pleasure from it, because that would be accepting a reward from wickedness.

Application

When I get up in the morning and it would be more fun to surf the web before I spend time with the Lord, I'll spend time with the Lord first anyway.

Genesis 14 - Outline

v1-7

the real "World War I"

v8-11

the allies fell in the valley of slimepits

v12 & 13

the enemies made the mistake of messing with people related to the Lord's servant

v14-16

Abram recovered all

v17-20

Abram learned a new name for the Lord: The most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth

v21-24

Abram once again defied common sense, relying on God's provision