Life In Greencastle

This week we will look more closely at Paul's opening words to his friends and co-laborers in Philippi - including looking at his prayer for his brothers and sisters in Christ. The specific verses we will consider are Philippians 1:3-11: "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless u...

Overview & Structure of the First Chapter of Matthew: An eight word introduction to Matthew's Gospel (Mt. 1:1) a genealogical/theological recounting of God's mercy, justice and faithfulness (Mt. 1:2-16) A summary of God's sovereign act in human history (Mt. 1:17) The birth narrative of Jesus the Messiah (Mt. 1:18-25) An Eight Word Introduction: "The account of the genesis of Jesus the Christ, son of David, son of Abraham" "The book of Genesis.' Matthew's first two Greek words say what they sound - Biblos genesos - 'book of Genesis' - to suggest that to Matthew's mind the deepest beginning in history was not the birth of the world but the birth of the world's Savior." "Christ' is actually a royal title ... the coming of the Messiah/Christ is still the great hope of the Jewish people. It is Matthew's claim that this Messiah arrived in Jesus of Nazareth." "The two great baskets of promise in the Hebrew Sc...

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:25 We made our way through the 19th chapter of Genesis yesterday, exploring and trying to unearth a word of grace and promise amidst the rubble of Sodom and Gomorrah. Thankfully, grace and promise both were there, as we discovered in the adult Bible study. It came just as we were finishing up. I had just read verses 27 through 29 in the 19th chapter of Genesis, and was about to leave the class hanging - waiting as Sarah and Abraham once did - when I noticed Brian Martin had something to say. He nailed it on the head. The hope comes in the fact that Abraham serves as a model of who Jesus becomes for us. Hidden in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah's waywardness and destruction is the promising note that "God remembered Abraham" and thereby re...

Jean-François Millet , The Gleaners (1857) "The book of Ruth introduces us to an 'earthy spirituality' - earthy in that it deals with ordinary people coping with everyday life, and spirituality in that the characters of the story are alive to God. Life is messy, making theology untidy at times. This is especially true when it seems as if the Almighty has dealt bitterly with us (Ruth 1:20-21). Recall the words of Jesus: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). The story of Ruth shows us that God is able to undertake and make the necessary provisions to help those in 'trouble' overcome their circumstances. In fact, the story of Ruth is one of a series of biblical sequels to the lesson Abraham and Isaac learned on Mt. Moriah - God is Jehovah Jireh, 'the Lord will provide" (Gen. 22:14). This is why Jesus is able to assure his followers that the heavenly Father is ever ready to provide f...

Yesterday, we came to the end of Paul's passionately persistent letter to the Christians in Galatia. In my own reading for the class, I stumbled upon this prayer from Martin Luther, which is well worth repeating - especially since it is my own prayer for us as a church: "May the Lord Jesus Christ, our Justifier and Savior, who has granted me the grace and ability to expound this epistle and has granted you the grace and ability to hear it, preserve and confirm both you and me. From the heart I pray that we may grow more and more in the knowledge of grace and of faith in Him, so that we may be blameless and beyond reproach until the day of our redemption. To Him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be praise and glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen." - Luther's Lectures on Galatians, 1535