Welcome to “Learning and Living the God-centered life”

Carmel Baptist Church

www.learningandlivingtheword.com

July 5, 2009

Learning and Living the God-centered Life

Coming in August

The Trinity - Jesus and His relationship to the Father (2 Weeks)

The Trinity - Jesus and His relationship to the Spirit (2 Weeks)

Coming in August

Redesign of our Website

Coming in August

Redesign of our Website

5 top tabs, more compact and easier navigation

More links for those who want to dig deeper

Video, Audio and Notes

Community Activities to be updated by leaders

Coming in September

Attributes of God

Incommunicable - those held only by God Himself

Self sufficiency (2 Weeks)

Immutability (2 Weeks)

The Summer Exhortation - Back to the Bible

1. Mission

2. Challenge

3. Authority

4. Importance

5. Accomplishment or Achievement

Back to the Bible

Community Mission Statement (from teaching perspective)

We exist as a community to spread a passion for Christ, as His word becomes the food and daily nourishment for our learning and living the God-centered life.

A life, that through His word, is transformed by the power of the Spirit in seeing glory of Christ who is the image of God!

Community Challenge Statement

"FINALLY THIS YEAR" Lord you have my full and undivided attention. There will be, by Your grace, no competition between recreation, entertainment, business, kids activities or anything else that can so easily distract and entangle me. Though I recognize all these activities will be part of my life, I maintain and cling to the truth that you are my life.

"FINALLY THIS YEAR" I first of all will prepare my heart to hear from God as never before. I will recognize that God is sovereign, and may do with me whatever He pleases. But heavenly Father my prayer will be for You to extend to me a measure of faith as never before, with regards to the reading, devotion and study of Your word. And "FINALLY THIS YEAR" I am praying to trust,depend, rely on Christ as never before. "FINALLY THIS YEAR" I am longing to be desperate for You Lord and You alone!!!

Authority of the Bible

The word of God is inspired (God-breathed)

The word of God is inerrant (no errors)

The word of God is infallible (it will not fail)

Mark 4:21-23 (Parable of the Lamp)

The Story (can you tell the story)

The Setting (what is the context)

The Spiritual Teaching (what is the main point)

Starting point of our study for this week

Importance of the Bible

God commands it

A life priority

Litmus test of salvation

Primary way to know God

Importance of the Bible

God commands it

2 Timothy 2:15

Chase the verbs (website and tutorial)

Check parallel translations (website and tutorial)

Be diligent

to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed,

accurately handling the word of truth.

Importance of the Bible

It is a life priority

Psalm 1 (notice eliminate negative, accentuate positive)

Joshua 1:8

Deut. 32:47 “For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life…”

John 5:24

Importance of the Bible

It is a litmus test for salvation

John 8:31

John 15:1-4

John 6:35

Importance of the Bible

It is the primary way we can know God

What is more important to man than God? He is everything. To know God is the primary, pre eminent pursuit of any human.

And how is he, man, to study, to know God? God has shut Himself up, as it were, or limited Himself in His revelation to mankind through the channel of the written Word of God, the Bible.

This is the only authentic, true text to which we may turn. Anything God has of Himself or His blessings comes from Himself immediately, directly, and only to a human being through this book, God's Word.

Consequently, to know God is to know the Bible; to know the Bible is to know God. If God is all important, then His Word is all important. In other words, The Word of God is as important as God Himself.

As far as mankind is concerned, this is true. A hunger for God will mean, must mean, a hunger for the Word of God.

Therefore, one must immediately realize if God's Word is as important as God Himself (for by it we can know and understand God), then how we interpret God's Word is just as important as God's Word.

Importance of the Bible

It is the primary way we can know God

John 14:8

John 1:14

John 1:18

John 17:3

In Summary

God Commands it

A Life Priority!

Litmus test for Salvation

Primary way to know God

Accomplishments of the Bible

It regenerates (1 Peter 1:23)

It converts the soul (Romans 10:17)

It makes wise the simple (Psalm 119:130)

It sanctifies (John 17:17)

It sustains spiritual life (Matthew 4:4)

Check out the Greek word for “word” which is rhema

This means a specific “word” from the whole word

Matt 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

1 Pet 1:25 The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord abides forever.

Rom 10:17 Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of Christ.

Eph 6:17 ..and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.

Heb 1:3 He upholds all things by the Word of His power.

Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of God.

Eph 5:26 Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, having cleansed her by the washing of the water of the Word.

Accomplishments of the Bible

It promotes spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:2)

It produces hope and comfort (Romans 15:4)

It edifies (Acts 20:32)

It warns (1 Corinthians 10:11)

It performs surgery (Hebrews 11:4)

It judges (John 12:47)