thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
Him. Pray foreach person you wrote the name in the Journal, ask God to meet theirexpectations in His way, His time. Lets pray that our group would serve with humility, using the gifts Godhas given us. Pray that our group members would seek to go above and beyond inserving the church. Pray that ourservice would be motivated by a love for Christ and others as well as a desireto see God glorified above all else. God bless you all, Have a wonderful week!I know Ill miss you...Kaeyllane We all havegifts. They differ in keeping with the grace that God has given each of us. Doyou have the gift of prophecy? Then use it in keeping with the faith you have. Is it your gift to serve? Then serve. Is itteaching? Then teach. Is it tellingothers how they should live? Then tell them. Is it giving to those who are inneed?Then give freely. Is it being a leader? Then work hardat it. Is it showing mercy? Then do it cheerfully.Romans12:6-8
Hello Everyone! It was very good to learn with you about our growing process in our spiritual life! It was so good to hear your experiences, and talk about things we can do to better choose our path. GROW The difficult but vital path to deeper faith. Last Sunday we talked about decisions that impact where we are today. Paul taught Timothy (in 2 Timothy 3) about making good decisions. He described people who we generally associate with evil and darkness. None of the characteristics described here would we want to describe us. Thinking about this, and taking a look at the passage, tell me: Are you truly following Christ? Does He impact your daily life or just your Sundays? Share experiences with us, post a comment. Next class well keep studying the same chapter Grow The difficult but vital path to deeper faith. 2. Choose the right people (2 Timothy 3:10-13) 3. Choose the right tools (2 Timothy 3:14-17)If you dont have a bible in English go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ , a good version for this is the New International Reader's Version. This week, well see Paul making a second appeal to Timothy by beginning a new emphasis noting, but as for you (verses 14-17). Paul encouraged Timothy to continue in the truth of the gospel which he had learned and firmly believed. With this in mind tell me: How often do you read the Bible or search for answers to lifes difficult situations in the Bible? Share experiences with us, post a comment.We have a song to listen Hundred More Years, by Francesca Battistelli from the Album Hundred More Years. Listen to this song allowing time for God to speak to you about our Sundays topic, and tell us: What is your process for making decisions? Is it possible to get results that we want it last for a hundred more years? Share experiences with us, post a comment. Heres a behind-the-song video of "Hundred More Years".And Finally... Remember: Praying for one another is part of our tasks as Christians. We have completed a Prayer Request sheet and we have our classmates names and requests. Lets pray! God has something amazing to teach us! Pray for your own heart, that God will grow you closer to Him. Pray for each person you wrote the name in the Journal, ask God to meet their expectations in His way, His time. Lets also pray for our plans: a Cookout and our experiences sharing at the Blog. We will be meeting next Saturday (March 31st, at Celias home), Ill be sending her address by e-mail. Last week Aline shared a little be of her life in our blog, and this week somebody else will do the same, ok? How about Celia? We would love to know a little be more about you Celia, take your time and write it for us!!Maturing in our faith and becoming more Christlike is a process. We wont be perfect this side of heaven, but God has given us everything we need for the journey. Making better choices begins
with knowing where we are, identifying the variables, and knowing where we want to go. God has provided everything we need to do those things: Connect to His people, study His Word, and follow the examples of the faithful people around us. The plan is laid out, now we must do the work.God bless you all, See you Sunday!Have a wonderful week!KaeyllaneBut as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed.2 Timothy 3:14a
Jesus Authority Over DarknessOur world is obsessed with the paranormal. Horror flicks and movies about the supernatural top the box office. Metaphysical games sell millions in the gaming industry. Tales of zombies, vampires, and UFOs threatening to steal earths resources its all there. Some might argue that our cultures fascination with the spiritual realm is because we want to escape from normal life, but I would argue that to some extent, people are seeking explanations for the unpredictable, ever-present nature of the spirit world. We know very little about the supernatural, which is why thinking about it can be unsettling. However, Scripture doesnt dismiss the concepts of demons and evil powers at work in the world; it acknowledges that God possesses an even greater power to overcome that evil. He can restore peace to our lives and our chaotic world. Mark 4 closes with a story of Jesus calming the storm with a command (Mark 4:35-41). Upon their arrival, the disciple would see Jesus calm another horrible storm, one that raged inside a person because of Satans reign over him. As soon as their boat landed, a man living in that grim setting ran out to meet them. Apparently he had been watching their boat from a distance for quite a while before it finally came to shore. They barely got out of the boat before he ran to Jesus and knelt down before Him, not necessarily to worship Him but in recognition of His authority. Mark said that the man had an unclean spirit. Lets take a look at this concept:Unclean Spirit(Mark 5:2)In the Old Testament, being unclean before God implied that a person was physically, ceremonially, or spiritually impure.In the New Testament, being unclean often carried the notion of being morally filthy and unholyin Gods holy presence. Such a spirit of uncleannesswas understood as wicked, and people dominatedby it were considered to be controlled by evil.The obvious connection between evil and Satan is highlighted in this passage as the mans unclean spirit specifically relatedto his being demon-possessed. The man was an outcast from society who lived among the tombs. He had superhuman strength that made it impossible for others to keep him under control, and he lived in anguish and bondage to the spirits, which made him cut himself with stones. This wrack of a man had absolutely no control of himself; chaos reigned within his being. As Mark continued to describe what happened, he said that Jesus asked, What is your name? Of course, Jesus knew the answer to His question before He asked it. And Mark didnt tell us why Jesus asked for the name. Some Bible Scholars have said that Jesus actually wanted to know the demons name. Knowing the evil spirits identity would be the first step toward having power over it. Others Scholars have suggested that Jesus wanted the man to tell Jesus his name so he himself could hear it. Having been under the tyranny of Satan for so long, the man may have lost sight of the fact that he had an identity
apart from the evil spirit that ruled over him. Saying his name out loud would help him to restore his identity as a person in need who came to Jesus for help. Share about a time when you suffered through an issue, problem, or sickness that at the time you werent able to address because its name was hidden. Post a comment! Once we can identify problems in our lives, we can then take steps to address and attack them. One of the most powerful aspects of Alcoholics Anonymous is when people finally stand and state their names and confess that theyre alcoholics. The same is true of any habitual stronghold on our lives. The first step of freedom from any spiritual, addictive, or demonic force is to name it. We have a Song to listen: He is with you by Mandisa from the album Freedom. Listen to this song allowing time for God to speak to you about our Sundays topic. As Christians, we live in the complete confidence that Jesus has authority over evil in all of its shapes and sizes. Of course, we want to stay on the alert so we wont be surprised by what Satan is up to around us. At the same time, however, we rest assured in Jesus absolute power over evil. God bless you allKaeyllane
HelloEveryone! How nice to see you guys lastSunday! I missed you a lot, the coupleof Sundays I had to be out. We had a good class, good discussions and I am surewe learned a lot. Every topic of thisbook brings day to day stuff, but we look at it in a different way, right? Last Sunday we started a new topic, that we'll be studying for thenext 10 Sundays (or more...) The Miracle of Jesus. Inside this topic ourlessons are:GloryDisplayedForgivenessOfferedHopeResurrectedPeace RestoredLives Redeemed We started, last class, the first one: Glory Displayed Through ordinary people and things, we get a taste of Gods glory. Jesus began His earthly ministry with anamazing miracle, a sign of His divine glory. He took ordinary things and ordinary people and created somethingextraordinary. If God can take common,everyday water and instantaneously transform into wine, think of the work Hecan do with someone devoted to Him.During our discussion last Sunday we talked about what Mary said to theservant: Do whatever He tells you. This seems simple, but hearing Godscommands and obeying them proves challenging. Obeying Jesus requests can often call us to act in ways that go againstour natural instincts. We have to have a certain amount of foolish obedience tofollow Christ. Tell me: Have you ever felt God asking you to dosomething illogical? Write a comment; share your thoughts with us!Next Sunday well be studying the second part of Glory Displayed Throughordinary people and things, we get a taste of Gods glory:2 Why obedience matters (John 2:6-10)3 His glory in abundance (John 2:11; 1:14, 18)If you dont have a bible in English go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ , a good version for this is the New International Reader'sVersion.When Johnwrote about glory, He used the Greek word, doxa. The word as John used itcarried the Old Testament idea of Gods awe-inspiring presence and powerexhibited so that everyone could see the evidence of it. Accordingly, a visible display of Godspresence and power would render honor to Him. When Jesus came, He showed that He was Gods son. Jesus disciples sawGods presence and power in His life. In other words, they witnessed the uniquedisplay of His glory.When webelong to Jesus, His glory resides in us. It should be expressed in every partof our lives in small, insignificant ways and in cant-miss-it ways as well. Now,share with us a time when God provided more than enough for you. This might have been during a time of greatneed, or it could have been related to a time when your spouse or a friendturned out to be far more valuable than you first thought possible. Post acomment; Share your experiences with us! Letsalso discuss, here at this web site, the following quote from Corrie Ten Boom: Faithis like radar that sees through the fog. Have you ever had experienced fog in your faith journey? If yes, howso? Write a comment; Share yourexperiences with us! We have a song to listen Give Me Jesus by JeremyCamp from the Album Double Take: Jeremy Camp. Listen to this song allowing time for God to speakto you about our Sundays
topic. And Finally... Remember: Praying for one another is part of our tasks asChristians. We have completed a Prayer Request sheet and we have ourclassmates names and requests. Lets pray! God has something amazing to teachus! Pray for your own heart, that God will grow you closer to Him. Pray foreach person you wrote the name in the Journal, ask God to meet theirexpectations in His way, His time.We saw inour lesson that Marys response to Jesus reveled something about herrelationship with Him. She brought her need to Jesus, and then she trusted Himto take care of it in the right way. Marys example of simple trust in Jesus helps us in our walk withHim. Like her, we demonstrate our trustin Him by bringing our needs to Him with the assurance the He will address themin ways that will bring glory to Him. Godbless you all,Have awonderful week!Kaeyllane Dowhatever He tells you, His mother told the servants.John 2:5
How many times haveyou tried to act like God? How manytimes we judge because we dont have knowledge about the situation? Dont you agree that we try to make God dothings in our ways? Ways that we thinkare the right ways. Thats whathappened in this weeks passage (Luke 5:21-26). By forgiving the paralyzed manssins, Jesus demonstrated his power to do much more than heal a persons body.However He also set Himself up for criticism by the religious leaders. They didntbelieve Jesus could forgive sins, right? For this people, just God was able todo it.They had come tojudge the validity of His ministry, and His statement about forgiving sinsshocked them and led them to be suspicious about Him. In their hearts, theyresented the way Jesus claimed to be more than a self-appointed preacher orteacher. This story points outtwo familiar, yet very different types of people: doers and judgers. The doers are the problemsolvers. Their words are backed with actions. They seek and follow through onlogical ways to make the world a better place. On the other end of the spectrum are the judgers. They analyze the deeds of people who are attemptingto create change. They are moreconcerned with blame and accusation than with actions. Have you ever been judged by someone who didnt seem to understand you?What did that feel like?Next Sunday well bestudying the Second part of Forgiveness Offered Jesus miraculous ability toheal the body and the soul. 2 Twofor One (Luke 5:21-26)3 A Banquetfor Sinners (Luke 5:29-32) If you dont have a biblein English go to http://www.biblegateway.com/, a goodversion for this is the New International Reader's Version. In this story, we see menwho try to play god and God Himself, who chose to come to earth as a Man. Whenever we try to act like God, injusticeand hypocrisy reign. But when God chose to be a Man, His grace conquered theworld. Why did Jesus heal the mansparalysis, even though He had already treated the more important problem? Writea comment; share your thoughts with us! Jesus was the real revolutionary. He had a new way of doing things. If you didnt have time last week, watch the Sermon byMark Dever: New WaysLuke 5We have a song to listen "Resurrection", by Nicole Sponberg fromthe Album Resurrection. Listen to this song allowing time for God tospeak to you about our Sundays topic. Remember: praying for oneanother is part of our tasks as Christians. We have completed a Prayer Requestsheet and we have our classmates names and requests. Lets pray! God hassomething amazing to teach us! Pray for your own heart, that God will grow youcloser to Him. Pray for each person you wrote the name in the Journal, ask Godto meet their expectations in His way, His time. Last Sunday we saw friendsthat were willing to lay down their lives for their mission. They were driven to do whatever it took tomake a difference in their friends life. They couldve easily been discouraged by the large task ofchange-making. It required teamwork,creativity, and audacity. Mark Twainonce said, The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
The secret of getting started is breakingyour complex, overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and thenstarting on the first one. The paralyzed mans friends showed greatdetermination in bringing their friend to Jesus. How far can we go to bring people to meetthe Savior? Post a comment; share your thoughts with us! Godbless you all, Have awonderful week! KaeyllaneI want you to know that the Son of Man has authorityon earth to forgive sins." So he spoke to the man who could not walk."I tell you," he said, "get up. Take your mat and go home." Luke 5:24
Hello Everyone! It was wonderful to be at Celias house last Saturday!! How good it is to be together, talking, laughing, and sharing experiences!! And how international are we?? I remember people speaking Spanish, English, did I heard mandarin?? You guys brought a lot of delicious things!! It was fantastic!! Thanks everyone! Lets do this more often!! Well, we had such a good class last Sunday, weve decided to keep in the same chapter, cause (of course), we couldnt finish it. We will be discussing the third part: 3. Choose the right tools (2 Timothy 3:14-17)Sanctification is a lifelong process, and it can be overwhelming. Thankfully, were not left to our own devices: The Bible equips us with everything we need to grow in wisdom and good works. This week were studying how Scripture provides us with a road map for spiritual growth.If you dont have a bible in English go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ , a good version for this is the New International Reader's Version. I want to start this with a question a made last week: How often do you read the Bible or search for answers to lifes difficult situations in the Bible? Share experiences with us, post a comment.Another question I want to leave for discussion is: Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? T. S. EliotWe have a song to listen Hundred More Years, by Francesca Battistelli from the Album Hundred More Years. Listen to this song allowing time for God to speak to you about our Sundays topic, and tell us: What is your process for making decisions? Is it possible to get results that we want it last for a hundred more years? Share experiences with us, post a comment. Heres a behind-the-song video of Hundred More Years.And Finally... Remember: Praying for one another is part of our tasks as Christians. We have completed a Prayer Request sheet and we have our classmates names and requests. Lets pray! God has something amazing to teach us! Pray for your own heart, that God will grow you closer to Him. Pray for each person you wrote the name in the Journal, ask God to meet their expectations in His way, His time. Lets pray that God give us wisdom to know who to let into our circles of influence. Lets ask God to provide our group members with godly examples to follow. Lets pray that God bless our group members with fruitful lives! God bless you all, See you Sunday!Have a wonderful week!KaeyllaneBut as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed.2 Timothy 3:14a There are preachers and not just teachers for the same reason there are reporters and not just commentators. The reason is that there is news and not just comment. News begs to be heralded, at least if its good news. Later it may need to be explained and argued about. Ordinary Christians need to remember this. Christianity is news before it is theology. Picture the scene: there was a horrible
situation with many people trapped, their lives in danger. There seemed to be no way of rescue or escape. It was terrifying. Behind closed doors authorities planned a daring assault and deliverance. Suddenly, there was a break-through. Rescuers succeeded, with incredible loss, to make a way out. Countless people began to escape. The news spread like wildfire: There is a way out! There is a way out! Come to the coded house. There is a tunnel to freedom. Christianity is first news. Then theology. When I knew that next Sunday well be training about ways to share the Gospel, I decided to do a search about this topic, and thats what I got from the search:News is about facts, not mere ideas. Christianity is about something that happened, not just about somebodys ideas. There were real events: a man born of a virgin, a few years of teaching and healing, a trial, a crucifixion, a death, a resurrection, an ascension into heaven. And then there was an explosion of news-telling.Whats the gospel? Ill try to put it in a sentence. The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. Thats the gospel. You never, never, never outgrow your need for it. Dont ever think of the gospel as, Thats the way you get saved, and then you get strong by leaving it and doing something else. No! We are strengthened by God through the gospel every day, till the day we drop. You never outgrow the need to preach to yourself the gospel. 3 Reasons to Share the GospelOne of the key aspects about evangelism is breaking barriers. What are some ways we can break barriers with those around us in order to have chances to share the gospel with them? Write a comment; share your thoughts with us!1. A Desire to Be Obedient to Gods Commands Jesus commanded his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. That is exactly what the early disciples did. Paul spoke of a compulsion to share the gospel. To evangelize is to obey. In Acts 8:4, we see that those who had been scattered preached the gospel wherever they went. One of the clearest examples of evangelism being commanded is in 1 Peter 3, where Peter commands believers to always be...prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Our silence is not a matter of neutrality. You need to tell yourself that. Our silence is a matter of guilt and sin. Obedience is definitely a biblical reason to evangelize. 2. A Love for the Lost Before you start reading the Second Reason to Share the gospel, take a look at what John Piper has to say about At what point should I share the gospel with my neighbor? After wacthing this video, tell us what you think, write a comment, share your
thoughts with us!Preachers, we have got to stop avoiding the topic of lostnesshell. Jesus spoke of Gods wrath remaining on those who dont believe on him. God will cause terror in us if we appear before him apart from Christ. Apart from Gods grace, the sinner will never stop sinning. Gods judgment will never end. Their rejection of God never ends. God will inflict extreme and unnatural pain on them forever. As preachers of the gospel, we have no business making God seem more humane to sinners who are in rebellion against him. Think about if hell were unleashed on you forever and tell unbelievers how horrible it is. Christians are motivated by a love to others. Hudson Taylor said he would have never thought of going to China if he didnt know that they were lost. Its people who are this lost, who have this fate awaiting them, that we are aiming to convert. We can confidently tell people the basic message of the gospel and trust that Gods Spirit will faithfully pick up our message and use it to save people. 3. A Love for God. We want to see God glorified. We want to see the truth about him told in creation. The desire to see God glorified was the motivation for all Jesus actions. Everything exists for Gods glory (Romans 11:36). Our salvation is to the praise of his glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6). God does everything he does for his own glory, and we should do all we do for the glory of God. To tell the truth about some people is not to honor them, but to tell the truth about God is to honor him. God is glorified in the gospel.We have a song to listen Above All by Michael W. Smith. I think there is no better song to explain why we should share the gospel. Also, its a gift to all of us who sang beautifully last Sunday, the anniversary of our church. Listen to this song allowing time for God to speak to you about our Sundays topic. Last Sunday we saw that Jesus valued those times when He connected with sinful people (Luke 5:29-32). He had an open-handed philosophy when it came to meeting people where they were on their life journeys and walking with them. Now tell me: How can the church do better at reaching those on the fringe of society? What role can you play in helping? God bless you all,Have a wonderful weekKaeyllane What a beautiful sight it is to see messengers coming with good news! How beautiful to see them coming down from the mountains with a message about peace! How wonderful it is when they bring the good news that we are saved! How wonderful when they say to Zion, "Your God rules!" Isaiah 52:7