Watkinsville College Ministry

Fight Club - Apologetics

2012-01-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

Fight Club guys- We kick off our spring study series on apologetics January 17th. You can find the content for the first 5 weeks here . This is a great opportunity for you to become better equipped to contend for the gospel. I want to encourage to bring a friend with you every Tuesday night so we can introduce more guys to the movement. Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday nights this spring.

Make War!

FIRE UP FIGHT CLUB

2011-11-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Glory of God

2011-10-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

The following is a guest post from Pastor David Holt. David id the Pastor of Discipleship at WFBC. I thought this fit well with some of the major themes that have emerged in the book of Exodus. Take a few minutes to read through it and reflect on the glory and greatness of our God.

1. A Study of The Glory of God

Pastor David Holt

1. What is the glory of God?

“God’s glory is the created brightness that surrounds God’s revelation of Himself.” Dr. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 220.

“God’s glory is the beauty of His manifold perfections. It can refer to the bright and awesome radiance that sometimes breaks forth in visible manifestations. Or it can refer to the infinite moral excellence of His character.” John Piper, Desiring God, p. 31.

Try substituting this phrase for the word “glory” when you read Scripture: “to fully reveal the character and likeness of God.”

The Hebrew word translated glory is the word “kabed” and it literally means “be heavy.” When God’s presence is heavy and strong, he is glorified because we see Him for who He is. His brightness, holiness, immutability, grace, goodness, faithfulness, judgment, etc. is heavy when it is being manifested.

Glory is the essence of His being and desire to be known:

1Chr. 16:24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

1Chr. 16:28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength,

1Chr. 16:29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

1Chr. 29:11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

Psa. 24:7 Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Psa. 29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

Glory and His immutability (never changes)

1Sam. 15:29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”

Glory and brightness/light:

Is. 58:8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Is. 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

Is. 60:2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

Is. 60:19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

Ezek. 1:28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Ezek. 10:4 Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD.

Luke 2:9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Luke 2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

2Cor. 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2Cor. 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Rev. 21:11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

Rev. 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Rev. 21:24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

Glory and God’s perfection

Is. 6:3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Glory and the heavens/creation

Psa. 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Psa. 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psa. 97:6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

Psa. 113:4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

Is. 6:3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Glory and clouds

Ex. 16:10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.

Num. 16:42 But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.

Matt. 24:30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

Glory and Moses

Ex. 33:18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

Ex. 33:22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Ex. 40:34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Ex. 40:35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Glory and human response

1Kings 8:11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.

Ezek. 3:23 So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.

Ezek. 44:4 Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown.

Glory and fire

Ex. 24:17 To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

Deut. 5:24 And you said, “The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.

2Chr. 7:3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”

Zech. 2:5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

Glory of the Lord fills the earth, but obviously not in its fullness.

Num. 14:21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth,

Glory and its movement

1Sam. 4:22 She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

Ezek. 43:2 and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.

Glory and heaven

Psa. 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

2. God’s pure desire for His glory.

“My conclusion is that God’s own glory is uppermost in His own affections….God’s ultimate goal therefore is to preserve and display His infinite and awesome greatness and worth, that is, His glory…God’s overwhelming passion is to exalt the value of His glory. To that end He seeks to display it, to oppose those who belittle it, and to vindicate it from all contempt. It is clearly the uppermost reality in His affections. He loves His glory infinitely.” John Piper, Desiring God, p. 31-32.

Because He wants to be known. He wants to reveal Himself to us. He wants relationship!!! He wants to display His glory to us.

Ex. 14:4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”

Hab. 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Hag. 2:7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.

Judgment can show His glory:

Ezek. 39:21 “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them.

God will share His glory with no one.

Is. 42:8 “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.

Is. 48:11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.

God is the only being who can be jealous and protective of his glory and it not be inappropriate or selfish.

3. Jesus and the glory of God.

Jesus reveals the glory of God in who He is and what He did:

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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.

John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

John 11:40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

John 12:41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

John 17:22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

John 17:24 Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Heb. 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Heb. 2:7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor.

Heb. 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Luke 24:26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”

1Tim. 3:16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Jesus returning in glory

Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Luke 9:26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Jesus illuminating heaven

Rev. 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

4. The cross and the glory of God.

John 17:1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

John 12:16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

John 12:23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

John 12:28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

John 13:31 When he (Judas) was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him.

Jesus declared that His death would not only be for the glory of God, but also be the glory of God in that it fully reveals the character and likeness of God. The cross reveals the character and likeness of God in that God in flesh shows forth His holiness and judgment for sin while also displaying His love and grace in paying for that sin Himself! If we want to see the glory of God, look to the cross of Jesus Christ!

5. The glory of God and His jealousy.

Ex. 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

Ex. 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Num. 25:13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

Deut. 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Deut. 5:9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

Deut. 6:15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.

Deut. 32:21 They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.

Josh. 24:19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.

James 4:5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

“God’s jealousy is not a compound of frustration, envy, and spite, as human jealousy so often is, but appears instead as a (literally) praiseworthy zeal to preserve something supremely precious.” J. I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 153

“His jealousy, in all its manifestations, is precisely ‘the zeal of the Lord of hosts’” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 155).

“As the purer and chaster a husband is, the more grievously he is offended when he sees his wife inclining to a rival; so the Lord, who has betrothed us to Himself in truth, declares that He burns with the hottest jealousy whenever, neglecting the purity of his holy marriage, we defile ourselves with abominable lusts ….” (John Calvin, Institutes, II, viii, 18).

Since God is so much after His glory, He is appropriately jealous of anything that gets in the way of His glory and of our relationship with Him.

6. The glory of God and the believer.

We are created for God’s glory (to reveal to others who He is):

Is. 43:7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Eph. 1:12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Eph. 1:14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.

Col. 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Matt. 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Christian means “little Christ.”

1Cor. 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

2Pet. 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

We should want God’s glory to be everywhere – for Him to be glorified (seen for who He is):

Psa. 57:11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Psa. 72:19 Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

Psa. 85:9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

Psa. 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Psa. 102:15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

Psa. 104:31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works —

Study 2 Cor. 3:7-18 in relation to the glory of God and Moses, and the glory of God for us New Testament believers.

Suffering and glory

John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Rom. 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

2Cor. 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

“Suffering with joy proves to the world that our treasure is in heaven and not on the earth, and that this treasure is greater than anything the world has to offer. The supremacy of God's worth shines through the pain that his people will gladly bear for his name.” John Piper

Challenge: Ask God to reveal to you His glory by revealing to you who He is. Submit to His glory. Seek to live for the glory of God. Fight jealously for His glory. Glorify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!

The 10 Commandments, the Gospel and You

2011-09-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Ten Commandments or the Decalogue are perhaps some of the best known teachings in the Bible. Probably more material has been written on this subject than almost any other topic in Scripture. The interpretation of the Ten Commandments consists of the extremes from offering a good moral compass to God’s absolute code of conduct for his people. Additionally, the public display of the “Law” continues to be a lightening rod dividing believers and un-believers as the “separation of church and state” issue is debated on the court-house steps and in society at large.

As Christians, they serve as a charter of conduct for a people already redeemed, who already participate in God’s redemptive plan by being walking and talking examples of what it means to be created in God’s image. They are a picture of righteousness and point to the Righteous One who alone was able to keep the law, “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). So, the Decalogue are commands of God to be understood in a redemptive context, a context that defines the deliverance of God’s people in Exodus and the reiteration of that redemption in the New Covenant through the blood of Jesus.

As we get ready to share our testimonies for the Great Exchange on UGA campus on Wednesday, September 28^th, this event heralds 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is the same redemptive thread that began with the “Passover” and continues throughout Scripture until Jesus’ cry from the cross, “It is finished.” Just as the LORD passed over the Hebrew mud huts stained with the blood of the lamb to judge sin, the LORD made his only Son to be sin so that the sin which was ours could be judged on the cross and atoned for by the blood of Jesus for all times. As our substitute, Jesus kept the Law perfectly and then gave us his righteousness and took our iniquities and nailed them to the cross as he completed the Great Exchange transaction.

In a similar way, the Ten Commandments serve as a bridge between the two covenants. The LORD gave the Law as a means for his people to relate to him and to each other as well as to differentiate between the pagan cultures of the world. In the NT, Paul tells us that, “The Law also served as a guardian until Christ came so that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). Because of the Law we were under a curse; for it is written, cursed be everyone who does not “abide by all things written in the law and do them” (Galatians 3:10). Galatians reminds us that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us”... (Galatians 3:13).

The writer of Hebrews continues to expand this bridge between the covenants, “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second” (Hebrews 8:6-7). The church must, therefore, view the Law from a Christological perspective rather than as a treasure chest of moral principles. Since believers in Christ are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we should view the Law as reflecting the perfect righteousness of Christ and our ideal for Christian living.

We must be careful to remember that the Ten Commandments are not primarily concerned with personal, private morality. Our individual righteousness is not so much at stake, but rather a corporate dimension, whereby the people of God live in community and harmony as a testimony to the glory of God. This was God’s intention in the OT, but even more so in the NT, as the people of God are not trying to earn or secure their salvation, but rather living as that “shining city on a hill” for the entire world to see.

Unfortunately, we often use the Ten Commandments today as a basis by which to judge the “personal morality” of others rather than as a reminder of our own depravity. It is bad enough to use this barometer in the church, but when we subject this treatment to those outside the family of God, we send the wrong gospel message, that being right with God is primarily a matter of proper conduct. To single out the Ten Commandments and set them up as a standard of conduct for unbelievers or American society in general indicates not only a misunderstanding of the purpose of the Decalogue, but of the good news itself. Christ died and rose to provide another way. We should do nothing to obscure or confuse that message.

Papa Fred

September 26, 2011

The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

2011-09-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

Chapter 9 of Romans contains some of the most difficult passages in Scripture regarding the Sovereignty of God, particularly regarding the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart and God’s role in that choice. In fact, Exodus contains four uses of the word harden and fifteen uses of the word hardened all pertaining to Pharaoh. Before we look at this issue, Hebrews 3:13 suggest a stern warning about hardening: “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

As we emerge on the other side of the Sea of Reeds, don’t forget that the book of Exodus is one magnificent oracle about the Sovereignty of God and his judgment against sin. Each of the ten plagues is a specific judgment directed against specific Egyptian god(s) that Yahweh may be glorified and “The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 7:5). The plagues have provided a horrible picture of the wrath of God juxtaposed against the mercy and grace of God towards the children of Israel; “And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13).

We cannot presume on God’s grace and just like the Hebrew 3 verse quoted above, sin is a heart hardener. Romans 1:24-25 is clear that, “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a “lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” Pharaoh has to be included in this crowd because the Egyptian pantheon was well defined with the king himself considered to be the son of Ra, the sun god.

As Christians, we often fall into the snare of cheap grace. Because we know that the heart of the gospel is forgiveness and redemption, we presume upon God’s grace and begin to act as though God is obligated to show us favor. We forget that God does not owe it to anyone to stop justice from taking its course. He is not obliged to pity and to pardon. If he does so, it is an act of his own sovereign will, and nobody can object. He is the potter and we are the clay.

Paul’s message in Romans 9:14-18 specifically addresses this very issue and includes Pharaoh as the poster-child through which God has chosen to reveal his power and declare his name in all the earth. This idea is further developed in Romans 9:22, “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepare for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.” Pharaoh is clearly a vessel of wrath that God has chosen to reveal his glory. Scripture is replete with other biblical and historical examples, including the Chaldeans, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Ahasuerus, Darius and many other leaders through which God choose to use to reveal his glory.

So, does this mean that Pharaoh had no choice but to be God’s pawn? The same sovereign God that appears to harden Pharaoh’s heart has given us some degree of freedom in our decision making. To label this as “free will” can be misleading. John Calvin recognized a freedom in our will and choices but qualified this liberty, “free will is not sufficient to enable man to do good works, unless he is helped by grace.” In fact, Calvin avoided using the term “free will” altogether because it is subject to misunderstanding.

He qualifies this caution as follows in the Institutes; “But how few men are there, I ask, who when they hear free will attributed to man do not immediately conceive him to be the master of both his own mind and will, able of his own power to turn himself toward either good or evil....If anyone, then, can use this word without misunderstanding it in a bad sense, I shall not trouble him on this account...I’d prefer not to use it myself, and I should like others, if they seek my advice, to avoid it.”

To be sure, in God’s hands we are as clay in the hand of the potter, but God has given us the ability to make willing choices, choices that have real effects. That freedom is ours in the context of a sovereign God whose will is always going to prevail. Scripture nowhere says that we are “free” in the sense of being outside of God’s control or of being able to make decisions that are not caused by anything. Nor does it say we are “free” in the sense of being able to do right on our own apart from God’s power. An absolute “freedom,” totally free of God’s control, is simply not possible in a world providentially sustained and directed by God himself.

That is why the “All things” of Romans 8:28-30 ultimately work together for our good and God’s glory. God can and does use our sin and work it together for our good and his sovereign will for our lives and his Providence in history. That is the great theme throughout the story of Joseph in Genesis and continuing in the book of Exodus.

Wayne Grudem, in Systematic Theology, distinguishes between God’s moral will (sometimes called his revealed will) and his providential government of all things (sometimes called his “secret will”). Examples of God’s moral will include the Ten Commandments and the moral commands of the New Testament while all the events of history testify to God’s “secret will” if they occur. This includes the fact that Christ would be crucified by “lawless men” (Acts 2:23) as well as all the evil events that have transpired in Exodus.

Therefore, Pharaoh was free to act as he would, to harden his heart, or to have his heart hardened by his actions. But he was not free to thwart completely God’s will to deliver his people out of bondage. God was providently controlling all the events in Egypt in order to accomplish all of his “I will” statements in Exodus 6. So, even when Pharaoh hardens his own heart, that is not inconsistent with saying that God is causing Pharaoh to do this and thereby God is hardening the heart of Pharaoh.

While we do not understand how God can ordain that Pharaoh can carry out evil deeds and yet hold him accountable for them and not be blamed himself, “The blame for evil is always on the responsible creature, whether man or demon, who does it, and the creature who does evil is always worthy of punishment.” Paul’s own response to this question is found in Romans 9:19-20: “You will say to me then, Why does he still find fault? Will what is molded say to its molder, why have you made me thus?” The Providence of God is a mystery that should result in Doxology.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Papa Fred

September 20, 2011

UGA and the Gospel

2011-09-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Over the past year and a half students in our ministry have been interviewing students on the campus of UGA in an effort to share the gospel. What we have discovered is sobering. Almost 90% of the students we interview have no clear understanding of who Jesus is or about the great news of the Gospel. The overwhelming number of them we have interviewed (a little over 1500 students ) believe that in order to have a relationship with God you have to "be good". This is a lost generation. They either have a wrong view of the gospel or they simply have never heard it. That's the reason we go on campus. That's the reason an event like The Great Exchange needs to happen. Below you will find a video that has excerpts from some of those interviews. Watch it and then pray about how you can help get the message of Jesus onto the campus of UGA.

The Great Exchange

2011-09-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Watch this short video about next week's campus event - The Great Exchange

One Word: PLAGUES

2011-08-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

I hope you guys are enjoying our journey through Exodus as much as I am. What a crazy story! The most amazing thing is that it's all true. This week God declares war on Pharaoh and the false gods of Egypt through a series of plagues. Fred has written a great article on how the plagues attack specific gods that were present in Egypt at the time. It's a fascinating piece and well worth your time to read it. CLICK HERE to get the article.

The Name

2011-08-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

“This Is My Name Forever”: God’s Self-disclosure (Exodus 3:15)

August 24, 2011

In our modern world, a person’s name can be merely a label of identification; it does not reveal anything about the person. Biblical names, however, have their background in the widespread tradition that the personal name gives significant information about the one who bears it. The Old Testament consistently celebrates God’s making his name known to Israel, and the psalms again and again direct praise to God’s name (Ps. 8:1; 113:1-3; 145:1, 2; 148:5, 13). “Name” here means God himself as he has revealed himself by word and deed. At the heart of this self-revelation is the name by which he authorized Israel to invoke him, commonly rendered “the LORD” (for the Hebrew YHWH or Yahweh, as modern scholars pronounce the word)!

At a very early date in Jewish history, it came to be regarded as too sacred to pronounce YHWH so pious readers avoided pronouncing it by substituting for it the word adonay, meaning “my Lord.” When the Masoretic scholars began to supply the vowels of adonay to the consonants of YHWH, God’s name was still pronounced adonay to avoid saying Yahweh. During the Protestant Reformation, however, an attempt to transliterate this hybrid resulted in “Jehovah” since “Y” was missing from the German language and the name has remained even though it is clearly a mispronunciation of YHWH.

God declared this name to Moses when he spoke to him out of the bush that burned steadily without being consumed. God first identified himself as the God who had committed himself in covenant to the patriarchs (Gen 17:1-14); then, when Moses asked him what God’s name was (the ancients assumed that prayer would only be heard if its addressee was named correctly), God answered first “I AM WHO I AM,” then shortened it to “I AM.” The name in all its forms proclaims his eternal, self-sustaining, self-determining, sovereign reality. This is the same supernatural mode of existence that the sign of the burning bush had signified (Ex. 3:2).

Given the polytheism and pantheism of the surrounding Egyptian culture, it was essential to know the identity of the one true God. Further, in ancient cultures, to know the name of someone was to know something very essential about the person. Though Moses is apparently not familiar with God’s name, this does not mean that the personal name of God was unknown to the Hebrews prior to Moses; it may have meant that the name had been lost or had fallen into disuse during the centuries of slavery in Egypt, or that the name had not been used extensively or fully understood before this time.

At the pinnacle of Egyptian power, YHWH chose Egypt and her god-king Pharaoh as instruments to demonstrate his sovereign power over her land and her gods and Moses is chosen as Yahweh’s Messenger and Redeemer.

Exodus and the Promise of God

2011-08-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the next 10 weeks I have asked Fred Schuller (Papa Fred) to write at least one entry a week on the Exodus story. Here's the first one and as usual Fred did not disappoint.

Musings on Exodus by Papa Fred (August 16, 2011)

When you think of Exodus, the subject of the burning bush, or the plagues, or the Red Sea is often the focus. As we begin our study, I would like to challenge each of you to search beyond the obvious and look at this awesome book as a bridge to New Testament theology and the very foundational tenets of our Christian doctrine. A little background work and look at the story of Joseph as the context of Exodus is necessary because that is how the book of Genesis ends. Exodus, however, begins by reminding us of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob.

I would like to provoke you to go even further back to Genesis 15 and take a look at Joseph’s great grandfather Abraham to position our context. You all know the story, God promises Abram an heir and in Genesis 15:5-6, God takes him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “so shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Before I continue the story, look at what God has done. He has justified Abram by faith some 2000 years before the Cross. The Apostle Paul wrote of this declaration in Romans 4:3 some 1500 years before Luther resurrected the doctrine of Justification by Faith during the Protestant Reformation. So Genesis 15:6 is a theological bridge that states Abraham was justified by faith, just like we are. God took his own righteousness and credited it to Abraham as if it were actually his. This God did because Abraham believed in him.

Furthermore, Galatians 3:8-9 states that, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. That’s us boys and girls. God is preaching the gospel some 3500 years before the cross and including us Gentiles in the blessing of Abraham. Wow, that is the good news.

God also reveals himself as a Covenant keeping Sovereign Providence in the words of Genesis 15:12-14. “As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they will serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” The story of Exodus is not some random act of history, but the Sovereign act of a Covenant keeping God who ordained all the events of the story for our good and his glory. It is not just a narrative of the Hebrew people, but a picture of redemption and how the great “I AM” intervened in history to save his people.

In a similar manner, Jesus Christ stepped into history in the cosmic invasion of the Incarnation to save his people. Galatians 3:13-14 reminds us, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us-for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree-so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” So, as we begin this whirlwind journey through Exodus, look back to the great “I AM” as the cause agent and look ahead to the Cross as the God-Man Jesus ultimately redeems us as the Son of Man and personification of the great “I AM.”

August in Athens

2011-08-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

August in Athens is one of the most amazing things on the planet. In the span of just a few days a relatively quite town explodes with an electric level of activity. Parking spaces are hard to find and the local grocery stores are packed. And you can smell college football in the air.

Most of you reading this will fall into one of three categories:

you spent your summer in Athens
you just got back into Athens from a summer of adventure/work/or you can't talk about it
you are just now arriving in Athens as a student

No matter your status we want to welcome you! This is an amazing stage of life for you and we want to help you build your life around something that matters. This fall our college ministry is going to be focused on four things:

The Word
Community
Service
Living Sent

Over the course of the next few weeks you'll here more about all four of these areas but for now just get your stuff unpacked, go to Kroger and stock up on Ramen noodles, meet some new people, and plan to be at College Bible Study this Sunday @ 9:30 am in the basement at WFBC.

Get directions to the church here.

See Ya Sunday, Go DAWGS!

A Year With the King

2011-07-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Almost 12 months ago we embark on a Journey through the gospel of Mark. In two week we will finish that journey. I feel like I can speak for the group of guys on our teaching team when I say it has been life changing to be up-close and personal with Jesus for one year. I hope that if you've been with us for the journey that you have had your faith strengthened and your heart expanded by the radical love and grace of our great King.

I want to say a huge thank to the guys who have served us well as part of the team who taught through Mark’s Gospel. Fred Schuller, Josh Bloodworth, Aaron Yankey, Mark McAndrew, and David Holt, you guys are amazing and gifted and I am thankful that I get to serve alongside our King with you.

One of the things that I have loved about our time in Mark is that I have been reminded over and over again of this truth: Jesus is the King! But he is a different kind of king. Jesus is king who comes in a way that reverses the values of the world and creates a "new normal". He comes in meekness and service, not strength and force - to die as a ransom for us. I love how Tim Keller puts it, "We enter this Kingdom through the 'upside-down' pattern of the King who went to the cross." You and I, as his followers, are called to live in this world as ambassadors of our King and to participate in the ministry of restoration and reconciliation.

Along the way we have encouraged you to remember the big picture of who Jesus is, why he came, how we should respond. I want to wrap up our time in Mark by reminding you of those three things.

Who Jesus is: He is the:

Suffering Servant
Ransom
Passover Lamb
Son of Man
Son of God

Why Jesus came:

To judge all men for fruitlessness, man-centered religion, and rebellion.
To save both Jew and Gentile, including blasphemers/rebels/his killers from hell for eternal life.
To serve by dying as ransom. He is the Lamb who accepted God’s wrath and takes away the sin of the world.

How should I respond?

Be unashamed of Jesus
Take up your cross
Deny self
Serve
Witness
Have faith in God
Watch for His Return
Give All

I hope that as we move on from our study of Mark that we will remember that we are called to love and to serve because that is the nature of the Kingdom of God. My prayer is that we will all live out these words from the mouth of Jesus:

"But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45 ESV)

Bible Translations

2011-06-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

"I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book."   Abraham Lincoln

I have had several students ask me in the past few months about Bible translations and which Bible I would recommend. One of the core values of our college ministry is that we try to be Word centered in everything we do, so we have a very high view of Scripture. As a result we believe that the translation you use matters. We believe that the ESV is the best translation currently available. For an excellent article on why we support the ESV click here. As for Bible recommendations, I believe that by far the best Bible out there is the ESV Study Bible you can read more about it here.

A Review of John Piper's "Think"

2011-06-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Happy summer time to everyone! As I hope you are enjoying the summer break, we wanted to do something new on the blog. Approximately every week or two, we will be providing a brief review of a book that we have read that we feel would benefit you greatly in your time as a college student and in your walk with Christ. This week Josh Bloodworth, our College Ministry Intern reviews John Piper’s Think. You can purchase the Kindle/e-book format of Think for $2.99 here. Or if you like actual tangible books still, you are killing tress, but you can buy Think for $8.99 here.

Most of us have been deeply affected in one way or the other by the Christian Hedonistic views of Dr. Piper. And in Think, Piper only continues to expand his mission statement, in that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Piper introduces his book in the following manner.

This book is a plea to embrace serious thinking as a means of loving God and people. It is a plea to reject either-or thinking when it comes to head and heart, thinking and feeling, reason and faith, theology and doxology, mental labor and the ministry of love. It is a plea to see thinking as a necessary, God-ordained means of knowing God. Thinking is one of the important ways that we put the fuel of knowledge on the fires of worship and service to the world.

One of the refreshing and all too uncommon aspects of this book is the inclusion of biblical exposition at the heart of his arguments. A book entitled Think would seem somewhat odd without an objective source from which to draw conclusions, but I am very glad that Piper stuck to his pastoral guns in making that objective source be the objective source, that is the Bible.

Piper opens the book by given us a brief look into his background in academia, prior to moving to the pastorate. It was in the academic world where Piper fueled the fires of his worship with deep thought. From there, Piper directs the reader’s attention to his pastoral hero, Jonathan Edwards. Piper argues with historians that Edwards was among the greatest minds that America has ever produced, while it is Edwards’ God-centered theology, which led to deeply theocentric doxology, that he is known for. It not either the great mind, or the vastly worshipful heart, but instead, it is both-and.

Throughout the rest of the book, Dr. Piper methodically presents the meat of his argument that thinking is both dangerous and at the same time indispensable. Piper argues first that the focus of thinking is in reading and understanding what others have written. This is of utmost importance, because God has chosen to reveal Himself to us through the Bible. From this point, Piper reveals how thinking is pivotal to saving faith, and that those that reject Christ and His Gospel commit irrational adultery in their thinking.

Dr. Piper continues by explaining the intricate relationship between thinking and divine illumination in the awakening of faith, and that true faith is characterized by a love for God that treasures God with the whole mind. He goes on to confront a vicious enemy to Christian thinking today, relativism. He presents biblical truth showing that relativism is in fact a very old logical fallacy, and ultimately he displays the immorality of relativistic thinking.

It is at this point that Piper delves into the seeming scriptural dichotomy of being childlike but wise. Both have a scriptural basis, but are they at odds with one another? First, he argues against the anti-intellectualism that has almost defined American evangelicalism. He explains that not thinking can be just as prideful as arrogant thinking. Piper carefully exposits both 1 Corinthians 1:20 and Luke 10:21, both of which seem to set God against intellectual thinking. The wisdom that God is at odds with in these passages are in fact the wisdom of this world. That which is hidden pertains to the kingdom of God, and no one can accept the Gospel or comprehend its components out of their own works, abilities, or thinking, in and of themselves. God must allow these things to be understood, and through this, the glory belongs to God alone, not to the human intellect. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:21, “In the wisdom of God, the world by its wisdom did not know God.” The world cannot know God by its own wisdom, but in God’s wisdom, that He bestows on whomever he so chooses, God Himself is able to be known. The knowledge of God was ultimately made manifest in the person of Jesus.

As Think comes to a close, Piper moves into a discussion of knowledge, wisdom, and thinking’s true purpose, which is to bring glory to God, by loving God, and loving people. Knowledge and thinking cannot be in of itself its own end. For that kind of knowledge is the knowledge that Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 8 will puff up. This thinking is proud and exhibits a clear absence of love. Piper says this at the close of chapter 12, “Without a profound work of grace in the heart, knowledge-the fruit of thinking-puffs up. But with that grace, thinking opens the door of humble knowledge. And that knowledge is the fuel of the fire of love for God and man.” The last chapter of Think drives home this idea. All thinking exists for the purpose of knowing God, bringing glory to God, loving God, and loving people in light of that.

In the conclusion of this review, I want to leave you with a quote from Piper that I hope would become a prayer for each and every one of us, those in the college classroom and those in and around the academic community. “It is profoundly right to say all thinking, all learning, all education, and all research is for the sake of knowing God, loving God, and showing God. ‘For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen’(Rom. 11:36).”

An Epic Summer

2011-06-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

This week we will continue our journey through the Gospel of Mark. Join us as Fred takes us into chapter 14 where Jesus is anointed and he eats the last supper with his disciples.

In other news if you have not joined us for our summer mid-week gathering you should come at least once. We are calling it EPIC and we are looking at God's story as we give and overview of the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It meets every Thursday in the youth room at WFBC. We open with some great worship and then have a teaching time and wrap up with small group time.

If you know anyone who is moving to Athens as a college freshman we would love to contact them about ways we can involve them in our ministry and give them a gift. Let me know their contact info by e-mail: vicdoss@gmail.com

The Issue Is Not Love Wins But JESUS SAVES

2011-03-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

The recent release of Rob Bell's book "Love Wins" has created quite the controversy. I have read the book and believe that Bell has rejected the clear teaching of the bible. And is on a trajectory that if not corrected will eventually lead to an outright rejection of Christianity. I agree with Kevin DeYoung's review of the book you will find a link below. I also reccomend you listen to Mark Driscoll's sermon on hell. I also included a link to that as well.

God Is Still Holy and What You Learned in Sunday School Is Still True: A Review of “Love Wins”

Driscoll sermon on hell

Brooklyn 2011

2011-03-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn was amazing. Next week I will do a blog about that great city. For now you can watch a video with some shots from our trip here.

Listen to Him (thoughts on Mark 9:1-13)

2011-02-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

The first thing to point out is that this is the same glory which Jesus already possessed, but which he had veiled with human flesh in his incarnation. It was not as though something was added to Jesus that day on the mountain, which he did not already possess. The reality is that his intrinsic glory has been veiled by human flesh–Jesus’ own glory as the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity–is now revealed to Peter, James, and John. The transfiguration is a glimpse of the indescribable glory which Christ will manifest at the end of the age, when he comes to judge the world, raise the dead, and make all things new.

When Peter, James, and John, get a glimpse of Christ in all his messianic glory, they suddenly realize that Jesus is not alone up on the mountain. “And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.” (Mark 9:4 ESV) Why Moses and Elijah? Moses and Elijah saw the glory of God and knew that it pointed ahead to a greater prophet yet to come, they now appear on the Mountain of the Lord, with the very one whose messianic ministry their own ministries had anticipated. Moses is key figure in the Sinai covenant, and Jesus signals a new and better covenant. Elijah was the herald of the final restoration of all things, and Jesus is the one brings about that restoration. God is showing the disciples that the entirety of the Old Testament was bearing witness to Jesus and that he is far greater than either Moses or Elijah.

Peter, reckless as ever, recognizes Moses and Elijah and acts without fully grasping what he was seeing. And so in verse 5, he blurts out to Jesus “’ Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.” Peter is understandably terrified–who wouldn’t be terrified! Peter wants John and James to help him put up three tents (tabernacles) in an attempt duplicate the tent of meeting as described in the Exodus account. While correctly tying what he has just seen back the Exodus, Peter mistakenly assumes that what he is seeing is the final arrival of the kingdom. What he does not understand is that the revelation of Christ’s glory on the mountain is a shadow of a much greater glory yet to be fully revealed. Not knowing the whole story, Peter sees the transfiguration as the full revelation of the promised messianic glory. Along with John and James, Peter has correctly recognized that Jesus is the New Moses and that a New Exodus has begun. But he is wrong to think this is the consummated kingdom and to assume that this is the ultimate revelation of Jesus’ glory

The point is this. Jesus’ way is the way of the cross. Jesus’ suffering and death is the will of God. Since Jesus is God’s beloved son, the disciples are to “listen to him.” These words dramatically echo the famous words of Deuteronomy 18:15 when Moses told the Israelites, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” This means that Jesus is the final prophet. He will say to us all that God wants to say to us. Jesus is that one to whom Moses and Elijah had pointed. He is central figure of the Old Testament and far greater than either Moses and Elijah who had both borne witness to him. Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God.

He is also the Suffering Servant. His glory has been revealed in what amounts to a brief glimpse of what is yet to come. Therefore, disciples must listen to Jesus, no matter how difficult his words may be, and no matter how difficult it is for them to make sense of it all. One day, everything will become clear.

Jesus must correct the disciples’ over-realized eschatology–that is, their mistaken assumption that since Jesus was the Messiah, the end was at hand and Israel would be restored to greatness right then and there. When the disciples get a glimpse of Jesus’ glory up on the mount of transfiguration, it should now be clear to them that although Jesus will suffer and die for sins the sins of his people, Jesus’ messianic glory is sure to follow. They will struggle to understand this until after Christ’s resurrection.

And so until that day when Jesus returns and his great glory is revealed for all to see, we need to avoid the mistake of seeking that glory as though it were an end in itself. Don’t forget that God graciously veiled Christ’s glory when came to earth to save us from our sins. Had Jesus come in all his glory, he would have come in judgment, not mercy. Had God fully revealed his glory in Jesus on that mountain, Peter, James and John would have been consumed. This is why we must focus on those places where God reveals his son to–in his word and sacraments–places where Jesus is revealed in such a way that sinners can freely approach and seek forgiveness and mercy, not judgment.

One day we will see the Kingdom come in power. That will be the day when God raises the dead, judges the world and recreates heaven and earth. Jesus' transfiguration is a sign that God graciously veils his glory so that he can save his people from their sins. the transfiguration is the proof to Peter, James, and John, that God will fulfill his promises to his people. The revelation of Christ's messianic glory comes only because Jesus was willing to humble himself and set aside his glory and remain obedient to the the father's will-obedient all the way to the cross. And because he was obedient unto death, Jesus was raised King of kings and Lord of lords. And one day we will see his glory, and we will not need to be afraid because for those in Christ this will be the day of our resurrection.

Mark 8:22-38 Questions

2011-02-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some questions to help you start thinking through the text for next Sunday in College Bible Study:

Where did the events of this story take place? (8:22)

What did the people do about the blind man’s condition? (8:22)

Here are some questions to help you get ready for College Bible Study this week

Where did Jesus perform this miracle? (8:23)

How did Jesus heal the blind man? (8:23-25)

What do we learn about Jesus’ character from the way He treated the blind man? (8:23-26)

What did Jesus urge the man to do after he was healed? (8:26)

Where did this episode take place? (8:27)

How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ question? (8:28)

How had people connected Jesus with Elijah, John the Baptist, and other prophets? (8:28)

How did Jesus make this discussion personal? (8:29)

How did the disciples answer Jesus’ question? (8:29)

Who did Peter say Jesus was? (8:29)

What warning did Jesus give His disciples? (8:30)

How did Jesus speak about what would happen to Him? (8:32)

How was what Jesus predicted different from what Peter expected? (8:32)

Why did Jesus rebuke Peter? (8:33)

In what way did Peter have in mind the "things of man" as opposed to the "things of God"? (8:33)

What did Jesus want His disciples to do? (8:34-35)

Why did Jesus say, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"? (8:34-38)

How will Jesus come back to earth? (8:38)

Daddy Dates?

2011-02-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

Vic has a new blog on the importance of a father in a daughter's life. Check out Pastor Vic's new blog here.

Mark 6:45-56

2011-02-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

Mark 8:1-21

2011-02-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

This Sunday Papa Fred will teach on Mark 8:1-21. Below are some questions to help you begin thinking about the text before then. See you Sunday.

Why did Jesus call the disciples to Him? (8:1-3)

How did Jesus feel toward the crowd of people that had gathered? (8:2)

How long had the crowd in this story been gathered? Why? (8:2)

Why couldn’t Jesus just send the people to their homes for food? (8:3)

What did Jesus’ disciples think of the crowd’s dilemma? (8:4)

How did Jesus involve His disciples in this problem? (8:5-8)

What did Jesus do with the seven loaves and few small fish that the disciples had found? (8:6)

How much food went uneaten? (8:8)

What did Jesus do after He had fed the crowd? (8:9-10)

Who came to see Jesus? Why? (8:11)

How did the Pharisees plan to "test" Jesus? (8:11)

Why did Jesus "sigh deeply"? (8:12)

What announcement did Jesus make to the generation of His day? (8:12)

What did Jesus think of His visitors? (8:12-13)

What had the disciples forgotten on their trip? (8:14)

When did Jesus start talking about the Pharisees? (8:15)

What did Jesus warn His disciples against? (8:15)

How did the disciples misunderstand Jesus’ warning? (8:16)

What was Christ’s explanation for why the disciples could not understand what He meant? (8:17-18)

Why couldn’t the disciples understand what Jesus said? (8:17-18)

What would have enabled the disciples to understand Jesus better? (8:17-18)

Why was Jesus amazed at His disciples? (8:17-21)

Why did Jesus remind the disciples about the miracles of feeding the crowds? (8:19)

How did Jesus try to get through to His disciples? (8:18-20)

Of what miracles did Jesus remind the disciples? Why? (8:19-20)

Jesus and Pancakes

2010-08-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (August 22) we officially kick off our fall semester of college ministry at WFBC. As we kick off the year we are going to feature two of my favorite things. First, Jesus! We start our new series "The Gospel of Mark" in College Bible Study tomorrow morning @ 9:30am in the basement. I am excited about this study because we will get up close and personal with Jesus. We will walk with him as he heals the sick, calms storms, casts out demons, feeds thousands and teaches like no one else ever has. We will also walk beside him as he is betrayed by a best friend, delivered over to be beaten, and crucified for us. And finally we will be there when the women discover that the tomb is empty and that death has been defeated. Yeah I'm pretty stoked about Mark because Mark is all about JESUS.

The second thing that happens tomorrow is we're gonna feed you all the pancakes you can eat for free! Every year we have a "back to school" meal. Some years it has been a breakfast and some years it has been a lunch this year we've combined the two: BREAKFAST FOR LUNCH. We will serve a lunch of pancakes and bacon along with juice and coffee immediately following the 11:00am worship service. The great news is that you don't have to sign up to eat. Just show up and we'll feed you.

At the lunch we will tell you all the ways you can plug in at WFBC. We'll have small group sign-ups and information relating to guy's and girl's Bible studies as well as info on retreats and mission trips we will take this year. This is a huge day for us so plan on being there and bring a friend for Jesus and pancakes!

Fall 2010

2010-08-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an amazing day with students back in town. College Bible Study was standing room only today as we wrapped up our study through Titus. I want to encourage you if you are a student or you know a College student, to get involved with a small group and plug into a local church as soon as possible.

I want to remind of three things that will happen next week:

1. College Bible Study @ 9:30 in the basement. We will begin a new study through the Gospel of Mark. Bring your bible and a friend.

2. FREE LUNCH- Breakfast for lunch next Sunday following the 11:00 AM worship service-- you can sign up HERE on our college facebook page.

3. We will launch 3 new small groups next Sunday night. These groups will provide you with an opportunity to meet students and to connect with a family in our church. Space is limited so if you want to be part of a small group e-mail Pastor Vic: vicdoss@gmail.com or shoot him a text 706-202-1764

2010-08-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

Begins August 22nd @ 9:30 AM

INTEGRITY

2010-07-13T07:18:00.001-07:00

Check out Pastor Vic's discussion of integrity here.

Titus 1

2010-07-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

This week we continued our journey through Titus. A few observations from our text this week:

1. God takes the qualifications for elders seriously

2. Because God takes it seriously so should we

3. To figure out whether a guy is above reproach we need to observe his life in two areas: Family and overall character

4. An elder/pastor has two main jobs: here I'll quote Calvin--"A Pastor has two voices one for gathering sheep one for driving away wolves and thieves"

Next week we will continue to our journey through Titus--let me encourage you to read through this short letter during the week.

Beautiful Noise

2010-03-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

It has been said that every generation can be defined by the music they listen to and the songs they sing. We all know how powerful songs can be. Songs can carry deep emotions from joy to sorrow. We often connect certain songs to different experiences in our life. How many of us can sing songs we learned when we were small children?

With the powerful impact that songs and music can have on us as humans it should not surprise us that God has given us and entire collection of "songs" in his book. You may know them better as the Psalms. In the Psalms we find the lyrics to 150 songs that show us the majesty of our great God and the messiness of our lives intertwined. We hear the pain, and sorrow of people who feel distant from God. We hear the hope filled celebration of people who know what it means to be delivered and find grace instead of judgement. We hear what it means to love God and be loved by him. So join us over the next few weeks as we see what it means to make a beautiful noise to our God who is the rock of our salvation.

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" (Psalm 95:1-2)

The Cross Matters

2010-02-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

Between now and Easter Sunday our worship services will focus on the cross and the substitutionary death of Jesus for our sins. In light of that I wanted to share the following from Chris Tomlinson:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2010/02/15/why-the-cross-matters/

Repentance

2010-02-09T05:13:00.000-08:00

"Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision. It is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing that you could, manage your own life and be your own god; it is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or could get, the strength, education and training to make it on your own; it is deciding that you have been told a pack of lies about yourself and your neighbors and your world. And it is deciding that God in Jesus Christ is telling you the truth. Repentance is the realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing the same old things, thinking the same old thoughts. Repentance is a decision to follow Jesus Christ and become is pilgrim in the path of peace."--Eugene Peterson

New Series Starts February 7

2010-02-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

You may not realize this, but the minute you became a believer, God began to change the way you think about everything. Before you put your faith in Christ, you lived to please yourself, you were unwilling to ignore the desires of your flesh, and you weren’t bothered by your sin. That’s how the world is wired. But thanks to Jesus you’ve been rewired. You have a new desire to do what is right, but desire alone isn’t enough.

Thankfully, God has given you everything you need to function with this new mind-set. This month we’re going to look at how this rewiring works in us through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

If you haven’t been coming to College Bible study I want to encourage you to give it a shot this week. See you Sunday.

Vic

Treasure Principle--week 2

2010-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

God owns everything. I'm His money manager.

Most of us are materialist. Our trouble is that we don't realize it. We live in a culture that continually bombards us with the mantra that "we can have it all". As you move through your week this week I want to challenge you to hold your possessions with an open hand.

When we get this truth that God owns it all into our hearts it makes it easier for us to use our stuff for his kingdom. Paul told the church in Corinth, "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7). This does not mean we should only give when we are happy. Often the "cheer" comes as we submit to God's gracious reign in our lives and obey when he prompts us to give.

Here's a question for you to think about tis week:

When was the last time you gave yourself a chance to experience the fulfillment that comes with generous giving?

A Life Well Sent

2009-12-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

The trendy new word in church circles these days is “missional”. Most of the time when you hear that word it is in association with hipster coffeehouse Christians who listen to Coldplay and sip decaf mocha lattes while blogging about the benefits of being a multi-site campus. While that may be what comes to mind when you hear the word, that is not what it means to be missional. To be missional means to live what Pastor Carlos has been calling “living sent”. It means simply to live the gospel out in the context where God has placed you. It means to love co-workers and the cashier at Publix and the guy who cuts your grass and the crazy uncle you see once a year at the family reunion. It means loving them enough to pray for them and share the gospel with them.

My friend Mike Yankey lived “sent”. There are some people who after meeting Jesus just never feel at home in this world. Mike was one of those people. After he met Jesus Mike held the things of this world in an open hand, often giving away things of value to others. The most important thing Mike gave was himself. I don’t know if I have ever met a man who loved people more than Mike Yankey.. He had a way of disarming people and there was a gentleness in him that made you trust him. For Mike there were no strangers, just friends he hadn’t met. I have seen him strike up conversations with total strangers and within 10 minutes that person would be telling Mike the most intimate details of this life. He was a master at turning conversations to the gospel. He loved to talk about Jesus.

Perhaps the greatest conversation I’ve ever seen Mike engaged in happened after his death last week. Friday night over 50 people were jammed into a room that comfortably seated 20. Most of them were men who had worked with Mike at the Oregon Department of Transportation. These are the kind of men that make UFC fighters seem like girl scouts. Most of their lives are lived in the empty pursuit of substances and relationships. These are the kind of guys that have language bad enough to make a sailor blush. Many of these men treated Mike harshly because of his commitment to Christ. They cursed him and tried other things to get him to compromise in his walk with Christ. Mike just continued loving them.

Mike sat at his kitchen table and prayed for each of these men every morning at 4:30. Mike wrapped flesh and blood around the love of Jesus for these men. Mike didn’t push them into cleaning up their act or conforming to some false sense morality. No Mike was one of them but different. He had a peace and a joy that they did not have.

Many of those men spoke of Mike’s servant heart and the joy that he had. After his co-workers shared from their heart, Mike’s oldest son Aaron gave a beautiful presentation of the gospel. Many listened with tears in their eyes as Aaron explained that Jesus was the reason that Mike had loved them. Mike’s life served as a testimony to the reality of what Jesus can do in the life of a man.

God was gracious to me in that he let me have Mike Yankey as a friend. Last week Mike drew his last breath in this world and stepped into a better one. Mike is with the King he loved so much in a place where he finally feels at home. I’m not sure why things like this happen, but I do know that God is in control, God is wise, and God is good, so Mike’s death was perfect in its timing and its purpose. We are sad and heaven is a little happier. I am thankful for Mike Yankey and Jesus giving us a glimpse at a life well sent.

Sexual Detox I: Pornifying the Marriage Bed :: pornography, sexuality, teenagers :: A Reformed, Christian Blog

2009-10-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Sexual Detox I: Pornifying the Marriage Bed :: pornography, sexuality, teenagers :: A Reformed, Christian Blog

Why Fight Club

2009-09-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I had someone ask me why we were doing a bible study for guys called Fight Club? Good question. Here’s my answer.

In our culture there is a shortage of men who actually act like men. Think about it, from the spoiled toddler-like behavior of most professional athletes, to the CEO who fleeces people out of millions of dollars, to the pastor who commits sexual sin, there are very few examples of men who walk in walk in humility, take responsibility and sacrificially lead and protect others.

I think that part of the reason for that is that the church has largely ignored the necessity of teaching what it means to be a man. Since our first father, Adam, fell in the garden, true biblical masculinity is not something that boys naturally pursue. My friend Jon Deans says that, “The natural default position for men is passivity”. In other words all men typically act like Adam. We neglect our God given responsibility and look for someone else to blame. (Genesis 3)

As a result you typically find two previsions of biblical masculinity. One, is effeminacy, the other is a macho over the top counterfeit masculinity. Doug Wilson describes these two perversions this way:

With effeminacy, a man takes on a set of virtues, which are not supposed to be his virtues. With the latter, he adopts a set of pseudo-virtues that are not virtues at all.

Biblical masculinity is something you have to fight for. It is learned through instruction and discipline and conforming to the likeness of our savior Jesus. It is not something that comes easily. It is a war, a war against our own flesh and against our enemy Satan, who has been attacking us since he went after Adam. So the goal for Fight Club is to give young men the weapons they need to win this war.

What is masculinity? How do we define what it means to be a man according to the Scriptures?

In his book Future Men, Doug Wilson writes:

Men are crated to exercise dominion over the earth; they are fitted to be husbandman, tilling the earth; they are equipped to be saviors, delivering from evil; they are expected to grow up into wisdom, becoming sages; and they are designed to reflect the image and glory of God.

Over the next several weeks at Fight Club we will begin to unpack what it means to be a man using these five areas:

Lords

Husbandmen

Saviors

Sage

Glory-bearers

If you are a man (or if you know a man) who is ready to get in the battle and fight the good fight consider joining us Tuesday nights @ 8:30 in the basement at WFBC.

Why I Deleted My Last Post

2009-09-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

You may or may not know my last post generated a great deal of discussion. I am afraid much of it was for the wrong reason. I am thankful for some godly men whom God has placed in my life who offered loving rebukes and correction (Proverbs 27:6—Faithful are the wounds of a friend). After re-reading the post half a dozen times and listening to counsel I came to the conclusion that the tone of the post as well as some of the things I said were out of line and sinful.

I want to publically repent for over generalizing and making blanket statements about college students being irresponsible, self absorbed and not committed.

I love college students and I love the ministry God has given me to students. The truth is that at WFBC we could literally not function without the committed and deeply involved students who attend here.

I am deeply sorry for the hurt my words may have caused and ask for your forgiveness.

2 Timothy 2:24-25 says:

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponent with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth

My hope is that my ministry would be characterized by these words. My deepest desire is that the people who God graciously allows me to do ministry with will love Jesus and hate sin. And I hope the same is true for myself.

Thank you and God Bless,

Vic

Eighteen Years: A Good Thing and God’s Favor

2009-09-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22

Tomorrow (September 7th) I will celebrate 18 years of marriage with my bride. Eighteen years ago she had the most incredible lapse of judgment--she said, "Yes" and made me the happiest man in the world. Eighteen years later and by God's overwhelming grace, it's simply gotten better and better.

We married in our hometown in the church she grew up in. I remember not being able to catch my breath when I first saw her that day and the past eighteen years have been filled with moments where she has taken my breath away. I still can't believe she said yes. And I'm convinced she's a Christian because she stays.

She is my best friend and the love of my life. We have laughed and cried and been amazed at God’s grace in our lives as he has blessed us with four amazing kids and friends and family who love and support us. I cannot imagine life without her. Everyday she is a walking, talking, encouraging, loving, caring, patient, and beautiful reminder that on September 7th, 1991 God showed me favor.

I love you Cynthia! Happy aniversery!

Small Group opportunities @ WFBC

2009-08-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Foundations: Sunday mornings @ 9:30 in the basement @ WFBC. We will be taking a look at the basic foundational truths of Christianity. Topics will include: What is the gospel?, The Bible is reliable, The Church, Character of God, and the Holy Spirit. Contact Pastor Vic 706-202-17

FIGHT CLUB: College Men’s Gathering: God calls us as men to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12). This is a gathering that will help you do that. We will hear from some older guys in our church, spend some time in prayer and challenge one another to be men, fight sin, love Jesus and lead well. Tuesday nights @ 8:30 in the basement at WFBC

College Girls Bible Study: Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8 pm beginning August 26 in the Sibley Home-- For directions use google maps or mapquest. Address: 1021 River Place, Watkinsville, GA 30677. You can also call Carla for directions at 706.310.0424. They will be working through “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan we have copies of the book for sale (see Carla)

Freshmen Girls Bible Study: Contact Emily Deans ejdeans@gmail.com (706) 338-7606

Truth Project: DVD-based small group curriculum comprised of 12 one-hour lessons taught by Dr. Del Tackett. This home study is the starting point for looking at life from a biblical perspective. Each lesson discusses in great detail the relevance and importance of living the Christian worldview in daily life.

Two groups in two different locations:

Group 1: Tim Lehman & Celia Aikens---Thursdays 8:30 p.m. starting Sept. 3, 2009

2019 S. Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30606 (on the corner of

West Lake and Lumpkin in the 5 Points area)

Celia Aikens: cmakns@gmail.com (912)-670-0889

Tim Lehman: tplehmann@gmail.com (706)-410-1269

Group 2: Jon Alligood--Wednesday at 7:00PM

172 South Hampton Point in Pineview.

Limited to 12 people.

Jon Alligood: jonma68@uga.edu (770) 639 3273

Galatians In depth study of Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia and his amazing defense of the gospel. Three groups meeting in three different locations.

Group 1 Stephanie and Kimberly's small group (girls only): Thursdays 8:00 - 10:00 PM Polo Club Apartment 21 (110 International Dr. Apt 21)\

Stephanie Allen: sca1231@uga.edu, (706) 255-3594 Kimberly Lawrence: kmlawrence88@gmail.com, (770) 868-7727

Group 2 Chris Fitzgerald (co-ed) Sundays 6:00 – 8:00 PM 221 Concord Drive Watkinsville--30677

Chris Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald.Chris@epamail.epa.gov (404) 578-6246 Vic Doss: vicdoss@gmail.com (706) 202-1764

Group 3 Michael Woodall (guys only) Mondays 7:00 – 9:00 PM 142 Hunters Run Rd

Michael Woodall: mwoodall@uga.edu (706) 767-0021

Josh Harris on Relationships and Romance

2009-08-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

What I've learned Since I Kissed Dating Goodbye

Topics for Conversation When a Man and a Woman Are Considering Marriage :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

2009-08-08T08:01:00.001-07:00

Topics for Conversation When a Man and a Woman Are Considering Marriage :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

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Piper on TV and Movies

2009-07-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

John Piper talks about why he doesn't own a TV here.

Fighting Sexual Sin

2009-06-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some links to a few resources that will help you in the fight against sexual sin.

Strategies for Fighting Sexual Sin--John Piper

Consequences of Immorality--Randy Alcorn

Porn Again Christian--Mark Driscoll

The Gospel in 50 words or less

2009-06-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a challenge for you if you are into Twitter or Facebook. Can you articulate the major points of the gospel in less than 50 words? Here is a an example:

"Jesus Christ, God's promised rescuer and ruler. Lived the life we couldn't live. Died the death we should've died. And rose from the grave in triumphant vindication. As the first-fruits of the new creation. To bring forgiven sinners together under his gracious reign." Steve Timmis

What would happen if we began to use social networking media to communicate the gospel to our friends and family who follows us through these various types of media?

The Differences Between Religion And The Gospel

2009-05-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Tullian Tchividjian is the new Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. A few days ago he had a great post contrasting religion and the grace of the gospel. You can find it here.

Jesus Wants the Rose

2009-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Matt Chandler on the heart of the gospel. here

More Thread

2009-05-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

Further "types" for your study:
Book of Ruth - Boaz/Christ/Kinsman Redeemer, Ruth/Gentile Bride
The Rock that Moses struck
David, especially in his "annointing" as King and later crowning as King
Jonah in the fish
Joseph
Manna
The Tabernacle - this one is extensive!!

There are plenty more, but that's enough to get you started. If you're interested in more info about any of these, email Mike (msatty at gmail dot com).

One Christophany that I think is particularly interesting that you ought to check out is the Captain of the Armies of God when He appears to Joshua just prior to the conquest of Jericho. Let me know what you think about that one, too!

Hermeneutics and Homiletics: or Big Fancy Words for Interpretation and Application

2009-04-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

I believe that one of the most important things that our recent study (Thread) has done for us is to reinforce our belief in the reliability of the Bible. Last week we threw out some words that may have been unfamiliar to you. So this is a joint effort to bring some clarification and hopefully some depth to your study of the Bible. My (Vic’s) words will be in blue.

First a couple of definitions:

Hermeneutics: is the interpretation of Scripture.

Homiletics: is the application of scripture.

The goal of bible study is to discover the meaning intended by the original author. While there may be many valid applications for a text, there is only one valid interpretation.

A Christian's essential (hug-the-dot) doctrines ought to be in place and solid before delving into the realm of typology. Our orthodox doctrines, clearly presented in Scripture (i.e. - Salvation by grace through faith, etc.) must inform our exploration of types. Babies need milk. Adults eat steak.

Jen asked me if I could think of a type that someone, not having laid a solid foundation of doctrine first, might be able to take and interpret wrongly. I couldn't think of any, and still can't, but I'm open to suggestions. But things like God's attributes (holiness, righteousness, justice, love, etc.), a Biblical anthropology (including Imago Dei and the Fall), Salvation, and others must precede study into types.

Mike is exactly right. One of the most important things you can do as a Christ follower is build a solid foundation. I think everyone should own a copy of Wayne Grudem’s book Systematic Theology. Not because Dr. Grudem has all the answers but because it is the most balanced and easy to read systematic theology out there. I still refer to Dr. Grudem’s book with great regularity. It can even be read devotionally.

I stand by my statement made this morning, that the ultimate hermeneutic (rule of interpretation) is found in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me...” Every page in the OT screams the name “Jesus.” Vic's right – its ALL about Him. So here's where I need to make a careful delineation. I don't think you can take the types too far IF 1) your focus is on the Person and Work of Christ, and 2) you're letting clear doctrine inform your interpretation.

You must always keep in mind that the Bible tells one story. The overarching theme of the Bible is what God has done for us. It is the story of God’s plan of redemption of man through the work of his son Jesus. The bible is not some simple collection of nice ideas or good advice it is THE STORY.

Homiletics is basically life application. "What does the text mean for me?" Not “to” me – it's not a relativistic thing open to cultural interpretation. God, the Author, intended to communicate meaning, so the question becomes, “What is God saying here?” (hermeneutics) and then “What does that mean for me?” (Homiletics). I think the area of homiletics is where people mostly go astray. And I think that they do it in a particular way – they begin with the homiletics instead of the hermeneutics. Am I losing you? They're quick to read a passage like the one this morning and ask questions about life application before taking the time to flush out the Jesus aspect of it all and how it reflects Him.

I am planning on writing a one page guide to biblical hermeneutics this week. I will post it next Monday when I return from vacation.

Now some of you astute folks will note that I asked, in our discussion time, so application-type questions. Isn't this hypocritical of me? Not at all. And the reason why is because we took the time to thoroughly flush out the type in the text, connecting it at several points to Christ's Atoning work before we got to the application points.

So make sure your hermeneutics precede your homiletics.

One thing to keep in mind is this: God gave us the Bible as a revelation of who he is. His goal is that we know Him, so most of the Bible can be easily interpreted by simply taking the language (either in the original or in the translation) in the usual way (John 3:36; Acts 1:11). In other words, "if the plain sense makes sense, seek no other sense."

Super Model Meets Jesus

2009-04-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

Mike Huckabee interviews former super model Kathy Ireland who talks about her conversion and how she became pro-life. Watch it here.

Voddie on the Bible

2009-04-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mike mentioned the sermon entitled "Why I Believe the Bible" by Voddie Baucham. Below we have posted the links to that sermon.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Review of The Shack

2009-04-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Tim Challies has one of the best reviews of The Shack you will find anywhere. You can go here to read it.