Devotion Time: July 26 – August 1, 2010

Here is the recommended personal devotions schedule.

Monday to Thursday

For each weekday, from Monday to Thursday,

- Read the assigned text several times

- Do Inductive Bible Study using the questions and prompts provided in the downloadable packet

- Personal Reflection based on the questions in the packet.

Friday to Sunday

Read the assigned Old Testament passage.

Bible Passages for July 26 – August 1, 2010

Monday                 7/26            2 Thessalonians 2

Tuesday                 7/27            2 Thessalonians 3

Wednesday           7/28            1 Timothy 1

Thursday               7/29            1 Timothy 2

Fri-Sun                  7/31- 8/1      Isaiah 16-30

Click here to download the Inductive Bible Study Training Guide.

Click here to download the Inductive Bible Study Packet for July 26 – August 1, 2010.

1 Timothy 2 Devotion Sharing

Submitted by Francis Kim, Gracepoint Berkeley

1 Timothy 2:1-6

1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

What is a fundamental aspect of the gospel that I can gather from these verses? The key words and concepts that are repeated are: “for everyone,” “all men,” and “for all men.” Apostle Paul says that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving should be made for everyone. God our Savior wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Christ Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all men. It is clear that the gospel is inclusive of all people. It embraces and includes everyone.

The commentary states that “the gospel includes high and low…good and bad…embraces Christian and non-Christian…” A person can be a king and in authority or the lowest of ranks such as a slave, a person can be the most morally upright and law-abiding or the worst of criminals, or a person can be in the faith or a non-believer…the gospel encompasses ALL people.

How then should I view and interact with all people that I encounter? This means Continue reading 1 Timothy 2 Devotion Sharing →

More Resources for 1 Timothy 2

Here are some more resources on female modesty issues for 1 Timothy 2
Does God Really Care What I Wear? by Nancy Leigh Demoss [short book.  it takes about 20 minutes to read the whole thing. pretty comprehensive]

Boundless addresses this topic pretty comprehensively

http://www.boundless.org/2005/answers/a0001844.cfm (excerpt)

http://www.backtothebible.org/index.php/gateway-to-joy/the-importance-of-modesty.html

http://utmost-way.com/lhm/modesty.htm

Resource for 1 Timothy 2:9-15

Pastor Jonathan at Gracepoint Davis posted a blog last year, which helps in understanding this difficult passage found in 1 Timothy 2 as well as in 1 Corinthians 14.  The link he provides is written in laymen terms, so is also very easy to understand.  Hope it helps!

http://joongwlee.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/women-should-say-what/

1 Timothy 2 Commentary

1 Timothy 2 DT Commentary

vv. 1-4 “The gospel includes high and low. Both the Emperor in his power and the slave in his helplessness were included in the sweep of the gospel. Both the philosopher in his wisdom and the simple man in his ignorance need the grace and truth that the gospel can bring. Within the gospel there are no class distinctions. King and commoner, rich and poor, aristocrat and peasant, master and man are all included in its limitless embrace.

“The gospel includes good and bad. A strange malady has sometimes afflicted the Church in modern times, causing it to insist that a man be respectable before he is allowed in, and to look askance at sinners who seek entry to its doors. But the New Testament is clear that the Church exists, not only to edify the good, but to welcome and save the sinner.

“[…]The gospel embraces Christian and non-Christian. Prayer is to be made for all men. The Emperors and rulers for whom this letter bids us pray were not Christians; they were in fact hostile to the Church; and yet they were to be borne to the throne of grace by the prayers of the Church. For the true Christian there is no such thing as an enemy in all this world. None is outside his prayers, for none is outside the love of Christ, and none is outside the purpose of God, who wishes all men to be saved.”[1]

Continue reading 1 Timothy 2 Commentary →

1 Timothy 1 Devotion Sharing

Submitted by Shufei Lei, Gracepoint Berkeley

Think about a person who finds serving God laborious and tiresome.  Contrast this attitude with Apostle Paul’s response to being appointed to his service.  Which attitude more resembles mine?  What is the source of Apostle Paul’s joy and gratitude when he thinks about his current role in God’s service?

Marking the person who finds serving God laborious and tiresome and Apostle Paul who is thankful to God for the service opportunity on two ends of the spectrum regarding attitude in serving God, I find myself oscillating between these two ends with a more natural leaning to the former. Apostle Paul’s gratitude flowed out of his reflection of his past, persecuting the church and going against God’s will out of his ignorant zeal (v13). Recognizing that God did not treat him as his sins deserve but instead used him as His vessel to proclaim the Gospel, he was blown away by the immense mercy, grace, love and privilege from God (v14). I find my heart rises with gratitude, joy and a humbling sense of privilege whenever I reflect upon my past: how God has rescued me from the kind of death that I was living in, how He has shaped and changed me, and how He has been using me to do His holy and awesome work. However, these feelings are often quickly eclipsed by the negative feelings resulted from my narcissistic expectations of what serving God should look like. The unpleasant feelings of serving God came often when my plans and schedules got interrupted. They also came when serving God was causing me more pain and discomfort than I had “signed up” for. In those times, my mentality toward doing Gods’ work would shift from serving God to doing God a favor, forgetting about God’s mercy and disregarding the immense privilege of serving God. This kind of changes in mentality and perspectives are deeply rooted in my sinful nature. To struggle against my natural self, I need to daily face up to my sinfulness and reflect upon all that God has done, and is still doing, in my life, so that I can see the REALITY that God does not owe me a thing but that I owe God my allegiance, my service, and my life. Keeping in line with these truths will help me battle against the negative and wrong feelings that come from the difficulties and labor of serving God. Continue reading 1 Timothy 1 Devotion Sharing →

1 Timothy 1 Commentary

Introduction to 1 Timothy

“1,2 Timothy and Titus are known as the Pastoral Letters because they give instruction to Timothy and Titus concerning the pastoral care of the churches.  All three letters probably were written not long after the events of Ac 28.

“After his imprisonment in Rome (c. A.D. 60-62), Paul most likely began his fourth missionary journey […] During this trip he commissioned Titus to remain as his representative in Crete, and he left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus.  Paul then moved on to Philippi in northern Greece (Macedonia), where he wrote his first letter to Timothy and his letter to Titus (c. 63-65).  Later he traveled to Rome, where he was imprisoned for the second time and where he wrote 2 Timothy shortly before he was executed (67 or 68).”[1]

“During his fourth missionary journey, Paul had instructed Timothy to care for the church at Ephesus(1:3) while he went to Macedonia […] When he realized that he might not return to Ephesus in the near future (3:14-15), he wrote this first letter to Timothy to develop the charge he had given his young assistant (1:3, 18) to refute false teachings (1:3-7; 4:1-8; 6:3-5, 20-21) and to supervise the affairs of the growing Ephesians church (church worship, 2:1-15; the appointment of qualified church elders, 3:1-13; 5:17-25).”[2]

Continue reading 1 Timothy 1 Commentary →

2 Thessalonians 3 Devotion Sharing

Submitted by Sharon Kim, Gracepoint Berkeley

2 Thessalonians 3

7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.

These verses helped me to imagine Apostle Paul, Silas, Timothy and others working night and day, laboring & toiling with one goal in mind.  With the desire to see the Thessalonians growing in their newly found faith, these amazing church planters worked hard with their hands.  They thought about the future when the Thessalonians will be on their own trying to live out the gospel and these leaders wanted to model for them that as Christians we should be hard working people who can be financially independent instead of being idle & fleshly where they become a burden for others.  Maybe there were some people who were idle in the society or within the church Apostle Paul was concerned about and he gave this warning to the Thessalonians.  These leaders had the “rights” to not work and receive financial support as they sacrificed so much and came all the way, working hard to share the gospel with the church and teaching God’s Word.   But instead of thinking about their “rights,” their mind was on how to leave them with a model to follow that will help their spiritual growth.   Not just in this text, but no matter what part of life we look at on Apostle Paul’s life, one thing that comes out shining is his “love” for all the churches.  His heart is filled with concerns and desires for the churches, his life is filled with prayers for the churches.

In contrast, the thoughts of my “rights” surface in my heart so readily and so often occupy my heart.  This is especially true at the end of the day when I’m tired or when I’m focused on my needs or when I am focused on the things that I have to do.   I’ve noticed that when I am focused on people and their needs and am concerned over them, my mind is not thinking about my rights.  Surely, “loving people” is the only way to free ourselves from our excessive greed that focuses on our “rights.”  I realize that I also can be idle even though I am working hard and fully independent.  Being idle can be a state of mind where we are allowing our minds to wander wherever they want to go and this would surely be something that Apostle Paul wants to warn the church about as well.  Apostle Paul worked hard night and day, laboring & toiling and his heart was not idle.  Instead his heart was filled with people, thinking about their need for a model to follow, thinking about how they can grow in their faith and finish the race that they have begun.   In the same way, I want to commit my thought life to be not idle but to be thinking about people and their needs. Continue reading 2 Thessalonians 3 Devotion Sharing →

2 Thessalonians 3 Commentary

vv.1-5 “Paul left the eschatological teachings of chapter 2 and moved on to instructions for daily living. He began by asking the Thessalonians to pray for us. This request for himself, Timothy, and Silas shows the human side of these three great men. Like everyone else, they depended on the prayers of others to carry on their work and remain steadfast in their lives.

“Paul’s request reminds us that we never reach a place in our Christian maturity or service where we progress beyond the need of prayer. Prayer remains essential to the life and work of all believers, not as a ritual, but as an honest interaction of longing and trust with our Lord. Prayer that agrees with Christ’s will always result in divine empowerment. We are foolish if we assume that the work of God can be carried forward without prayer.”[1] Continue reading 2 Thessalonians 3 Commentary →

2 Thessalonians 2 Devotion Sharing

Submitted by Lauren Kwon, Gracepoint Berkeley

Satan is often depicted as the great deceiver, and particularly in the last days, he will be actively at work in steering people away from the truth of the Gospel through all sorts of counterfeit means.  What examples of counterfeit expectations are prevalent in today’s society that steer people away from the truth (e.g. basis of happiness, promise of satisfaction, etc.)?

-Pursue my happiness because I deserve to be happy. Be true to myself. I should love myself. Trust myself, depend on myself.

-No one should impose their beliefs on me. No one should tell me what to do. I alone determine my life.

-Materialism and consumerism. Buy things that make me happy.

-Find happiness in romantic relationships through casual dating. Satisfy our lust, need for security and self-worth by engaging in relationships with people of the opposite gender. Forget marriage and commitment, which seem too archaic and boring for our modern society.

-Take care of myself and my family. Secure my children’s future and make sure they are on the fastrack to acceptance from a top-notch university.

-Life is unpredictable so I need to protect myself and my family financially. I need to make more money, be savvy with my investments, and build walls of protection around myself.

-Build my self-esteem, self-image. Change my image depending on who I need to impress and what I want to obtain.

-Satisfy my ambition by pursuing the highest achievement possible in academics and career. Then I will receive the respect I deserve.

-Life is unpredictable, resources are limited. I have enough problems of my own to worry about. I don’t have any room for anyone else’s problems.

Why is the truth found in the Gospel forfeited so readily today?

The truth found in the gospel is to acknowledge God and live a life of love, sacrifice, and self-denial, taking up my cross daily to follow Jesus. This truth is so readily forfeited today because Continue reading 2 Thessalonians 2 Devotion Sharing →

2 Thessalonians 2 Commentary

vv.1-12 A subject that Paul felt no need to write about in the first letter — when the Day of the Lord would occur (1 Thess. 5:1) — he does write about in the second letter. He does so because at least some members of the Thessalonians congregation had become persuaded that the Day had already arrived. In response, Paul basically says that is impossible because certain events that must first occur have not yet occurred, and thus the Day cannot have already arrived.

So far, so good. But at this point we begin to encounter difficulties, not so much because of what Paul said, but because of what he did not say. That is, in communicating with the Thessalonians, Paul took for granted information that both he and they already knew, and consequently he did not spell it out in his letter. No doubt his meaning was clear to his readers. But because he did not spell out certain critical details, his meaning is not clear to his later readers. The passage, therefore, presents a major obstacle: How does one bridge between the original meaning and contemporary significance when the original meaning at some points cannot be determined? [1] Continue reading 2 Thessalonians 2 Commentary →