hola blog amigo. i know it's been a long time since i rapped at ya, but for some reason, i just haven't had the capability to write for a long time. i've been reading but no questions or thoughts have come up and i hate the thought of forcing thought. but alas, today i have come up with some stuff. i read three different passages today in preparation for a special church service we have tonight and i came up with some discussion questions for each of the three passages. since these discussion questions have to pass the litmus test of being presentable to a church congregation, i think they are more than suitable for a personal, online blog. they are honest questions and, although they very well may not inspire any discussion or stimulated brain activity - "higher-order thought" those in the world of education might say - at church, they are certainly topics with which i deal and wish to get some legitimate answers to on my own or through the participation of others.
psalm 4:2
"how long, oh men, will you turn my glory into shame?"
1. what is god's glory?
2. god is accusing men of turning his glory into shame by loving delusions and seeking false gods - how are we doing this?
3. what are some specific ways we can fix the problem on our end?
matthew 5:16
". . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
1. what does this mean to you?
- how are the good deeds of a christian any more likely to bring glory to christ than the good deeds of a non-christian? (in other words, christians and non-christians alike do things like ring the salvation army bell and act politely to their neighbor)
2. _agree or disagree:_ we may never know if people praise our "father in heaven" as a result of seeing our good deeds, but that should not stop us from just letting our light shine before men anyway; all we have to worry about is letting our light shine through good deeds.
philipians 2:15
"do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of god without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe . . ."
1. what does verse this mean to you?
2. certainly, we can pick up the newspaper and find a very clear rationale for labeling this world and our generation "crooked and depraved" but many times the world seems normal to us, such as at work, school, out and about, etc. how can we shine like stars in the universe and live such a contrasting life when our neighbors and coworkers can seem so regular and in pursuit of the same reasonable things we are? (e.g. safety, some property, stability, etc.)
3. _slightly-off-topic-but-suddenly-pertinent-question:_ do you think the devil works to convolute the potential messages in this passages (and the others) or otherwise make it less effective? if so, how? does he play with our emotions, our thought-process, our situations? what do you think about this?
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About This Blog
this blog follows the bible-reading pattern set on another blog: usefulbreath.blogspot.com. you can go there and read the passage(s) i reference and also view dave's thoughts and explanations. my blog is my interpretation of the passage and sometimes a dialogue with useful breath. my goal is to just come up with one question or comment (preferably question) about the bible passage(s) i read. sometimes my question will maybe be good and definitely there will be other times that it is not good. if you get the sense that what you are reading falls into the latter category, just quit that post (or the whole blog, for that matter). no one has to read this if they don't want to. this internet post is merely an extension of what i would have been writing with a pen in a journal so, while it is open, it also has the potential to be personal to the point of boredom. i don't know if there is a feedback function on my blog but if you find one, please feel free to leave your own thoughts and comments.
abuch
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