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Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Week 5 Day 7 Transformed!
The Living Sacrifice ( Romans 12:1-2)
The song lyrics include
"This is the life he offers, this is the hope we’ve found. He is our certain future He is our solid ground
This is the life we’ve chosen. This is the choice we make"
Amen.
"This is the life he offers, this is the hope we’ve found. He is our certain future He is our solid ground
This is the life we’ve chosen. This is the choice we make"
Week 5 Day 6 Renewing of your mind
The Living Sacrifice ( Romans 12:1-2)
Does doing daily devotions count towards a renewal of the mind? As we try methods to try and help us remember scripture verses so that they become part of our mental framework, there are some dangers.
Scripture tells us the nature of God through history and a multitude of inspired human authors. Through the Holy Spirit, we can hear God's voice speaking to us through the passages in the bible but as students we also need to think about the paradigm (mind set/ presuppositions) found in our field of study. How is your mind renewed by Scripture in your academic studies?
* Catalyst (the graduate wing of TSCF) has books. articles and conferences that helps you think some of these things through.
* The nursing students at Wintec have been watching material created by Nursing Christian Fellowship in the US.
* Veritas in Auckland law school tries to tie faith and work as law students. What have you learnt as you engage with your studies together?
* Students who study environmental science, will find NT Wright's interpretation of heaven interesting. Click here.
* The Veritas Forum explores Christianity and academic subjects.
* Charissa from HCF started a blog to record stories of her uni friends. Click here.
As we prepare for work through improving or skills and knowledge, we also grow to appreciate work as worship.
Does doing daily devotions count towards a renewal of the mind? As we try methods to try and help us remember scripture verses so that they become part of our mental framework, there are some dangers.
* Catalyst (the graduate wing of TSCF) has books. articles and conferences that helps you think some of these things through.
* The nursing students at Wintec have been watching material created by Nursing Christian Fellowship in the US.
* Veritas in Auckland law school tries to tie faith and work as law students. What have you learnt as you engage with your studies together?
* Students who study environmental science, will find NT Wright's interpretation of heaven interesting. Click here.
* The Veritas Forum explores Christianity and academic subjects.
* Charissa from HCF started a blog to record stories of her uni friends. Click here.
As we prepare for work through improving or skills and knowledge, we also grow to appreciate work as worship.
Week 5 Day 5 Sensory Experience
The Living Sacrifice ( Romans 12:1-2)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRCKKNj-VcI
What do you see, hear, feel regarding the animal sacrifices, that you can relate to the passage our passage regarding living sacrifice?
What are comparisons and contrasts can you draw?
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV
Think of ways to connect with this verse, using your 5 senses (taste, sight, touch, smell and sound).
eg Elizabeh Gadd's photographs capture for me the contrast between the human body and the glimpse of our sublime God found in nature. See them here.
Food for thought (written by Zane)
Here is a re-enactment of the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) sacrifices. Take note of the reverence and care that went into the sacrifices, and the importance to the people.
eg Elizabeh Gadd's photographs capture for me the contrast between the human body and the glimpse of our sublime God found in nature. See them here.
Food for thought (written by Zane)
Here is a re-enactment of the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) sacrifices. Take note of the reverence and care that went into the sacrifices, and the importance to the people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRCKKNj-VcI
What do you see, hear, feel regarding the animal sacrifices, that you can relate to the passage our passage regarding living sacrifice?
What are comparisons and contrasts can you draw?
Week 5 Day 4 KIWI!
The Living Sacrifice ( Romans 12:1-2)
Watch the first 3rd to half of this video and answer the question below.
Watch the first 3rd to half of this video and answer the question below.
What is the difference between dying to achieve a dream like Kiwi and dying for someone?
It is interesting that the verse talks about not dying but being a living sacrifice. Unpack what you think it means to you?
How does knowing the mercies of God help us be a "living sacrifice"?
How would connect the words, "Mercies of God", "Living Sacrifice", "Holy and Pleasing", "True and Proper Worship"? How are the words (set to a different tune) connected in this verse?
Share your response to these words. Do they connect in the way you expect them to? Take your own photographs that represent the words that stand out for you.
Food for thought (written by Zane)
Here is another video about sacrifice, which could be used for comparison/contrast with living sacrifice vs. sacrifice leading to death. In this case it is an example of living sacrifice that did lead to death (physical).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs7TE_AzlME
This provides a good complement to the Kiwi video.
Week 5 Day 3 Responding through Prayer
The Living Sacrifice ( Romans 12:1-2) Respond in prayer to this paraphrase of the verse found in The Message.
Place Your Life Before God
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Here is a musical prayer response.
Place Your Life Before God
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Here is a musical prayer response.
Respond in your own way and post it on Facebook.
Week 5 Day 2 Study: Old Testament references in Paul
The Living Sacrifice ( Romans 12:1-2)
Background to the book of Romans can be found here.
This song contains the image of sacrifice. Meditate on the words and unpack it in your own way. Click on the words for an exploration of the metaphor of sacrifice in the Old and New Testament.
Background to the book of Romans can be found here.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Food for thought (written by Zane)
There is evident reference in the passage to Levitical Temple sacrifice, which at least the Jewish people in the Roman church would be familiar with. Keep in mind though that Paul spoke to a people that saw a backdrop of pagan sacrifice, which would have influenced their view of sacrifice (which Paul would also be aware of).
Food for thought (written by Zane)
There is evident reference in the passage to Levitical Temple sacrifice, which at least the Jewish people in the Roman church would be familiar with. Keep in mind though that Paul spoke to a people that saw a backdrop of pagan sacrifice, which would have influenced their view of sacrifice (which Paul would also be aware of).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myAOjN8oYoo
This video outlines some of the worship practices that happened in Ancient Rome - how does it compare and contrast with the view of a living sacrifice and renewed mind that Paul speaks of ?
Week 5 Day 1 Read again and again.
What do we repeat to ourselves day after day? A negative thought? a song? a hope? a dream? Mediating on a biblical text takes us away from ourselves and our concerns and to a biblical world so remote from our own experience that we have to work hard to connect to it. The bible takes us away from our own goals to transcendent mysteries formed by a creative, holy and loving God. Reflecting on His Word, helps us think BIG and live LARGE or observe SMALL and love DEEP.
The Living Sacrifice ( Romans 12:1-2)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
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Do you have any questions about the verses?
Here are some examples:
What does living sacrifice mean?
What does renewing of your mind mean?
Reflect on what the verse means today
The Living Sacrifice ( Romans 12:1-2)
What stands out for you in Romans 12:1-2?
Here are some examples:
What does living sacrifice mean?
What does renewing of your mind mean?
Reflect on what the verse means today
Week 4 Day 7 Writing about love.
The Unfailing Love: (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)
There is something really corny about writing about love. Love is often harder to write about than evil. What makes some love stories, songs or quotes so cringe worthy?
What is the difference between 1 Corinthian 13:1-3 (list A)
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing".
Which list A or B is more cringe worthy? Why?
Can you create poems, stories, videos etc that capture love without being cringe worthy? Share it on Facebook or find good quotes to share. Or send a card or loving encouraging note to someone you know.
Food for thought:
If love is seen in this verse as mundane, rather than beautiful or "sublime", how does it change our priorities (esp if you are passionately artistic)?
This video explores Edmund Burke's view of the sublime and beautiful; ideas that had a huge influence on Romanticism. Briefly, Romanticism is an intellectual orientation characterizing many works of literature, music, painting, architecture, criticism and historical work from the late 1700s into the mid 1800s. It is a rejection of the premises of reason, calm, order, rationality and general / abstract thought that epitomized the neoclassicism (or Age of Reason) of the 1700s. Romanticism, consequently, values subjectivity, individuality, irrationality, the Imagination, the personal, the emotional, the visionary, the spontaneous and the transcendental. How much is our notions of love affected by such ideals even today?
What is the difference between 1 Corinthian 13:1-3 (list A)
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing".
and 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 (list B)?
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Which list A or B is more cringe worthy? Why?
Can you create poems, stories, videos etc that capture love without being cringe worthy? Share it on Facebook or find good quotes to share. Or send a card or loving encouraging note to someone you know.
Food for thought:
If love is seen in this verse as mundane, rather than beautiful or "sublime", how does it change our priorities (esp if you are passionately artistic)?
This video explores Edmund Burke's view of the sublime and beautiful; ideas that had a huge influence on Romanticism. Briefly, Romanticism is an intellectual orientation characterizing many works of literature, music, painting, architecture, criticism and historical work from the late 1700s into the mid 1800s. It is a rejection of the premises of reason, calm, order, rationality and general / abstract thought that epitomized the neoclassicism (or Age of Reason) of the 1700s. Romanticism, consequently, values subjectivity, individuality, irrationality, the Imagination, the personal, the emotional, the visionary, the spontaneous and the transcendental. How much is our notions of love affected by such ideals even today?
Consider how "love" in works of art would be portrayed differently if captured through the mundane.
Week 4 Day 6 Love is ....
The Unfailing Love: (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)
Love is not tapping your fingers as you wait for your flatmate to get dinner ready (patient)
Love is noticing when someone does well and patting them on the back. Then telling everyone about it. (kind)
Love is buying someone a gift when they have done better than you. (does not envy)
Love is teaching someone basic maths, allowing yourself to be questioned over an answer --all the while keeping quiet that you are doing a Phd in Maths (does not boast)
Love is not showing you can do it better, so that someone gets the chance to shine (is not proud)
Love is not telling the funny but embarrassing "I told you so" story about someone because it would hurt their feelings (does not dishonour)
Love is keeping someone company even though you are very bored, just because they want you to. (not self-seeking)
Love is not going to bed angry or sulking but sorting things out. (is not easily angered)
Love is using your own flaws as negative examples not those who are closest to you. (keeps no record of wrongs)
Love does not spread juicy gossip about what others have done wrong but create environments that encourage love to flow, like the Soul Pancake vid. Share you own list.
If you think the list you come up with is not humanly possible, you are probably right only God's strength allows us to love in extraordinary ways. We can be selfless when it is easier to be selfish; forgive when it is easier to hold a grudge and to persevere when it is easier to give up. Extraordinary.
Brainstorm ideas on how you could encourage loving actions through a social project.
Like this one
To find out more about the project click https://www.facebook.com/wywsleeping?fref=ts and
https://www.youth.sg/Our-Voice/Campus-Blogs/heystephie/2013/11/While-You-Were-Sleeping
So, the next time someone asks "How do I know if it is love?" You might respond in a similar way to this article http://convergemagazine.com/love-know-13014/
Urgh! Please don't say "Love is an open door"!
Think of the nitty gritty mundane acts that show love is patient and kind....etc
Think of the nitty gritty mundane acts that show love is patient and kind....etc
Here are some examples:
Love is noticing when someone does well and patting them on the back. Then telling everyone about it. (kind)
Love is buying someone a gift when they have done better than you. (does not envy)
Love is teaching someone basic maths, allowing yourself to be questioned over an answer --all the while keeping quiet that you are doing a Phd in Maths (does not boast)
Love is not showing you can do it better, so that someone gets the chance to shine (is not proud)
Love is not telling the funny but embarrassing "I told you so" story about someone because it would hurt their feelings (does not dishonour)
Love is keeping someone company even though you are very bored, just because they want you to. (not self-seeking)
Love is not going to bed angry or sulking but sorting things out. (is not easily angered)
Love is using your own flaws as negative examples not those who are closest to you. (keeps no record of wrongs)
Love does not spread juicy gossip about what others have done wrong but create environments that encourage love to flow, like the Soul Pancake vid. Share you own list.
If you think the list you come up with is not humanly possible, you are probably right only God's strength allows us to love in extraordinary ways. We can be selfless when it is easier to be selfish; forgive when it is easier to hold a grudge and to persevere when it is easier to give up. Extraordinary.
Brainstorm ideas on how you could encourage loving actions through a social project.
Like this one
To find out more about the project click https://www.facebook.com/wywsleeping?fref=ts and
https://www.youth.sg/Our-Voice/Campus-Blogs/heystephie/2013/11/While-You-Were-Sleeping
So, the next time someone asks "How do I know if it is love?" You might respond in a similar way to this article http://convergemagazine.com/love-know-13014/
Week 4 Day 5 Love is a verb
The Unfailing Love: (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)
A verb is a doing word. Love needs to motivate and result in action. What does it mean to show God's love? Ask God to show you how and tell us about it.
Here are some possibilities.
Perform the verse in a creative way so that the meaning is clear.
A verb is a doing word. Love needs to motivate and result in action. What does it mean to show God's love? Ask God to show you how and tell us about it.
Here are some possibilities.
Perform the verse in a creative way so that the meaning is clear.
Look out for someone who needs to see what love really means. Show God's love in a tangible way.
Ideas from students in other parts of the world.
Here's an idea from The Bored Panda
Week 4 Day 4 Just another love song
The Unfailing Love: (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)
Think of a popular love song at the moment eg Taylor Swift or Lorde. Contrast it to these musical renditions of 1 Corinthians 13. What do you see, hear and feel? Can you find songs that are closer to the depictions found in the verses? Put them on a playlist. Post them online.
Think of a popular love song at the moment eg Taylor Swift or Lorde. Contrast it to these musical renditions of 1 Corinthians 13. What do you see, hear and feel? Can you find songs that are closer to the depictions found in the verses? Put them on a playlist. Post them online.
Here are some examples
In English (Indonesian)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-aAlW9KjYM
In English (UK)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv0FyoW5gRk
In English (US)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQy-aP_Koo
In other languages
In English and Lebanese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPs20N3OZOw
In English (UK)
In English (US)
In other languages
In English and Lebanese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPs20N3OZOw
In Chinese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSwHBIPdfbo
same song with interesting images of love depicted through animals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74iZQXkPnX0
You might like to make your own version that just focuses on one aspect of love like John Mayer's Love is a Verb.
same song with interesting images of love depicted through animals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74iZQXkPnX0
You might like to make your own version that just focuses on one aspect of love like John Mayer's Love is a Verb.
Week 4 Day 3 Responding through prayer.
The Unfailing Love: (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13) Pray through this.
The Way of Love (Paraphrase from The Message)
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
Write out your prayer in response to this verse on Facebook.
The Way of Love (Paraphrase from The Message)
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
Write out your prayer in response to this verse on Facebook.
Week 4 Day 2 Study: Dig Deeper into Interpretations
If you have been doing inductive bible study in your Christian Fellowship groups, you will know that you begin with the text. After asking questions (who, what, why and how) and examining structural elements of the text you may consult reference works (dictionaries, concordances, software resources), but commentaries have become something like a "last resort." Commentaries are useful because we are part of interpretative community of believers past and present who desire to hear from God through scripture.
DIG DEEPER.
Ask who, what, why and how? This text is often used at weddings. But the transitional sentence..“And I will show you a still more excellent way” (12:31b) links the first stage of Paul’s argument regarding our oneness in Christian community to this second stage that now comes in the form of a poetic vision of love in community. It is the context of the surrounding chapters that shows that weddings is not the primary/full application, but rather love in community.
Mediate on all the qualities mentioned in this verse.
Click on the words for examples of interpretations from Martin Luther and Kenneth Bailey (click the verbs) or click here for a full document.
The Unfailing Love: (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Week 4 Day 1 Read again and again.
Rereading the bible consist of more than the act of reading, it consists of a desire to listen, asking God to speak and wanting to hear from God. We develop a hunger for God, a sensitivity to his voice, a inner calm/ peace and a ability to see Him. In exchange for this connect we need to set a time, outward silence, and develop an inner quiet (ideas from Charles Stanley).
The Unfailing Love: (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)
What stands out for you in 1 Corinthians 13?
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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Do you have questions about the verses?
Here are some examples:
Why is love more important than tongues, prophecy, faith and sacrifice?
Why is love described in such concrete ways?
What is the significance of the three (faith, hope, love) that remain - why do these remain and others not?
Reflect on what the verse means today
The Unfailing Love: (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)
What stands out for you in 1 Corinthians 13?
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.Do you have questions about the verses? Here are some examples:
Why is love more important than tongues, prophecy, faith and sacrifice?
Why is love described in such concrete ways?
What is the significance of the three (faith, hope, love) that remain - why do these remain and others not?
Reflect on what the verse means today
Week 3 Day 7 Interviewing real people who have faith
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
Look around you, who around you attempts to live a life of faith?
Interview them and record what they say. How does what they say show a life of faith?
Here are some people TSCF has interviewed
Here are some TSCFers talking about deep thought.
Here are some Hamilton Christian Fellowship students talking about how action shapes their faith.
Share your videos on Facebook.
Look around you, who around you attempts to live a life of faith?
Interview them and record what they say. How does what they say show a life of faith?
Here are some people TSCF has interviewed
Week 3 Day 6 Pondering life/lives
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
As we ponder the lives of biblical characters, let's think about the notion of "students leading students" for Christ. What does it mean to walk our journey together at this time in our lives? At some point, you would probably have been asked if you would like to do Final by Krish Kandiah. Discussing this book is an attempt amongst student to think about how faith interacts within the context of transition between university and working life. What would the life of faith look like today, as a student. Think about the individuals whose good life of faith inspire you to continue to follow God. You might not know them personally but something in their faith journey helps you see God better.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the men of old obtained a good report. By faith we understand that the universe was framed by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made out of things which are visible. Here's my list:
By faith Adoniram Judson, translated the bible into Burmese and worked amongst the people for many years at much personal suffering and without much visible fruit.
By faith Susan Boyle, stepped out of her comfort zone to sing in a competition. She remains committed to developing the voice God has given her. She has been called a modern-day Cinderella because of how much her life has been transformed.
By faith Corrie ten Boom, forgave a cruel prison guard with a handshake. She continues to inspire people to trust God through cruel and difficult circumstances.
By faith Chris Grantham, tries to live out his faith in every area of his life including as a dad to Mark.
By faith Merrilyn Withers, shares her life with God in real heart-felt stories.
By faith Tan Lai Yong, left his home and cared for the villages in rural Yunnan as a doctor.
These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Those who say such things declare plainly that they are looking for a homeland. And certainly, if they had been thinking of the country out of which they came, they might have had the opportunity to return. But they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
As we ponder the lives of biblical characters, let's think about the notion of "students leading students" for Christ. What does it mean to walk our journey together at this time in our lives? At some point, you would probably have been asked if you would like to do Final by Krish Kandiah. Discussing this book is an attempt amongst student to think about how faith interacts within the context of transition between university and working life. What would the life of faith look like today, as a student. Think about the individuals whose good life of faith inspire you to continue to follow God. You might not know them personally but something in their faith journey helps you see God better.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the men of old obtained a good report. By faith we understand that the universe was framed by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made out of things which are visible. Here's my list:
By faith Adoniram Judson, translated the bible into Burmese and worked amongst the people for many years at much personal suffering and without much visible fruit.
By faith Susan Boyle, stepped out of her comfort zone to sing in a competition. She remains committed to developing the voice God has given her. She has been called a modern-day Cinderella because of how much her life has been transformed.
By faith Corrie ten Boom, forgave a cruel prison guard with a handshake. She continues to inspire people to trust God through cruel and difficult circumstances.
By faith Chris Grantham, tries to live out his faith in every area of his life including as a dad to Mark.
By faith Merrilyn Withers, shares her life with God in real heart-felt stories.
By faith Tan Lai Yong, left his home and cared for the villages in rural Yunnan as a doctor.
These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Those who say such things declare plainly that they are looking for a homeland. And certainly, if they had been thinking of the country out of which they came, they might have had the opportunity to return. But they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
These all have obtained a good report through faith, but they did not receive the promise. For God provided something better for us, so that with us they would be made perfect.
Some questions to reflect on afterwards (meta-narrative):
*What criteria (apart from their faith) did you use to pick the people on the list?
*Did you have difficulty thinking of people you could list? (too many or too few)
*Would you have less difficulty if you could just pick people you admire for other reasons than faith eg talent or success?
* Post your list online. Comment on other people's list. Often others pick out common threads we may miss ourselves.
Often the people we pick reflect the generation and culture we come from. The people you pick would probably have resonance with other students in far reaching ways more than you imagine. Working out a list like this maybe time consuming but well worth the effort for clarity of thought and vision.
Some questions to reflect on afterwards (meta-narrative):
*What criteria (apart from their faith) did you use to pick the people on the list?
*Did you have difficulty thinking of people you could list? (too many or too few)
*Would you have less difficulty if you could just pick people you admire for other reasons than faith eg talent or success?
* Post your list online. Comment on other people's list. Often others pick out common threads we may miss ourselves.
Often the people we pick reflect the generation and culture we come from. The people you pick would probably have resonance with other students in far reaching ways more than you imagine. Working out a list like this maybe time consuming but well worth the effort for clarity of thought and vision.
Week 3 Day 5 Evaluating online biblical material
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
There is so much online material available, let's look at a couple today and evaluate how useful the material is to you as a tertiary student.
Sacred Readings
Suzanne Lederer leads us in connecting with God through Lectio Divina. She explains the process here and she leads us through Hebrews 11:1-6. What do you think of this 20-minute digital experience? Blog what you learnt.
Online magazine articles
The problem with name dropping is that you are never completely sure of what your listener associates with a name. Kenneth Way moves us away from reading Hebrews 11 as a listing from the Hall of Fame and Faith to a deeper contemplation on the nature of God, in Biola Magazine.
(link address http://magazine.biola.edu/article/11-fall/handling-heroes-in-hebrews-11/) Blog about what you have learnt from reading this online article.
Are there any online Christian magazines or blogs you enjoy? Tell us which ones and why. There is a sense in which as a community of fellow believers soaked, in God's Word, we help each other sort out and think through the information overload online by being evaluative (intellectually critical) of each other's choices. This aim is what TSCF calls Deep Thought. I'm sure the editor of Canvas, the TSCF magazine, would welcome student feedback on our articles as well.
Misreadings
I find that one way to think out of the box on issues of faith is to throw a spanner in the works. If you have spent any time at all online you would know about the "Christian lunatic fringe". How would you discern the difference between spanners and these wild "lunatic" misreadings of scripture? * Click here for some ideas.
How does being part of an evaluative interdenominational community help you in the process? To get to know the variety of perspectives found in TSCF/ IFES, many of the TSCF staff workers preach in churches or blog or write articles, often you can find their work online. Together, we challenge each other to catch a glimpse of a good and beautiful BIG God.
This article below is one such spanner in the works. Our passage in Hebrews seems to suggest that we live a life of consistent faith. The spanner is: Could it be that sometimes really trusting someone, requires us to go through a period of doubt? Peter Enns examines doubt as a way into deeper faith here.(link address http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2011/10/why-it%E2%80%99s-good-to-doubt-god/) Do you find this article disturbing or helpful? Blog about your thoughts and feelings.
There is so much online material available, let's look at a couple today and evaluate how useful the material is to you as a tertiary student.
Sacred Readings
Suzanne Lederer leads us in connecting with God through Lectio Divina. She explains the process here and she leads us through Hebrews 11:1-6. What do you think of this 20-minute digital experience? Blog what you learnt.
Online magazine articles
The problem with name dropping is that you are never completely sure of what your listener associates with a name. Kenneth Way moves us away from reading Hebrews 11 as a listing from the Hall of Fame and Faith to a deeper contemplation on the nature of God, in Biola Magazine.
(link address http://magazine.biola.edu/article/11-fall/handling-heroes-in-hebrews-11/) Blog about what you have learnt from reading this online article.
Are there any online Christian magazines or blogs you enjoy? Tell us which ones and why. There is a sense in which as a community of fellow believers soaked, in God's Word, we help each other sort out and think through the information overload online by being evaluative (intellectually critical) of each other's choices. This aim is what TSCF calls Deep Thought. I'm sure the editor of Canvas, the TSCF magazine, would welcome student feedback on our articles as well.
Misreadings
I find that one way to think out of the box on issues of faith is to throw a spanner in the works. If you have spent any time at all online you would know about the "Christian lunatic fringe". How would you discern the difference between spanners and these wild "lunatic" misreadings of scripture? * Click here for some ideas.
How does being part of an evaluative interdenominational community help you in the process? To get to know the variety of perspectives found in TSCF/ IFES, many of the TSCF staff workers preach in churches or blog or write articles, often you can find their work online. Together, we challenge each other to catch a glimpse of a good and beautiful BIG God.
This article below is one such spanner in the works. Our passage in Hebrews seems to suggest that we live a life of consistent faith. The spanner is: Could it be that sometimes really trusting someone, requires us to go through a period of doubt? Peter Enns examines doubt as a way into deeper faith here.(link address http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2011/10/why-it%E2%80%99s-good-to-doubt-god/) Do you find this article disturbing or helpful? Blog about your thoughts and feelings.
Week 3 Day 4 Video depictions of Hebrews 11
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
This is a very long list of people. You could just write it out and set it to music or consider what faith means or apply it to your life. Here are some examples:
Put in visual text and set it to techno music
Working out the main idea behind the text
Working out the implications of the passage
Think about what most people would consider a good life then creatively imagine a life of faith. Visually represent, write, sing or talk about what you have learnt.
This is a very long list of people. You could just write it out and set it to music or consider what faith means or apply it to your life. Here are some examples:
Put in visual text and set it to techno music
Setting the text to a song you like.
Working out the main idea behind the text
Working out the implications of the passage
Week 3 Day 3 Responding through Prayer.
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40) Pray about your place in this list.
Faith in What We Don’t See (taken from Eugene Peterson's paraphrase The Message)
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.
By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That’s what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.
By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.
By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.
By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. That’s how it happened that from one man’s dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.
Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.
By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him—and this after he had already been told, “Your descendants shall come from Isaac.” Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that’s what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar.
By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau.
By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph’s sons in turn, blessing them with God’s blessing, not his own—as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff.
By an act of faith, Joseph, while dying, prophesied the exodus of Israel, and made arrangements for his own burial.
By an act of faith, Moses’ parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child’s beauty, and they braved the king’s decree.
By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king’s blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them.
By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned.
By faith, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell flat.
By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God.
I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.
Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.
A note on biblical paraphrases
Think carefully about paraphrases. For example, Zane's comment gives food for thought.
"It may be semantics, but I don't like this paraphrase very much, for example: with Abel, it was about what he believed definitely, but that caused him to bring a specific sacrifice, so it wasn't that 'it was not what he brought that made the difference'."
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.
By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That’s what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.
By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.
By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.
By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. That’s how it happened that from one man’s dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.
Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.
By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him—and this after he had already been told, “Your descendants shall come from Isaac.” Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that’s what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar.
By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau.
By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph’s sons in turn, blessing them with God’s blessing, not his own—as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff.
By an act of faith, Joseph, while dying, prophesied the exodus of Israel, and made arrangements for his own burial.
By an act of faith, Moses’ parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child’s beauty, and they braved the king’s decree.
By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king’s blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them.
By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned.
By faith, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell flat.
By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God.
I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.
Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.
A note on biblical paraphrases
Think carefully about paraphrases. For example, Zane's comment gives food for thought.
"It may be semantics, but I don't like this paraphrase very much, for example: with Abel, it was about what he believed definitely, but that caused him to bring a specific sacrifice, so it wasn't that 'it was not what he brought that made the difference'."
Write out your prayer on Facebook to encourage others to join prayer.
Week 3 Day 2 Study: Who are these people?
God wrote the Scriptures and told the story of His glory through the lives of sinners redeemed.
"God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: He makes saints out of sinners." by Søren Kierkegaard)
Read more on the people mentioned. Click names to find out who they are.
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah,about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
(links taken from http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/tp/Hebrews-11-Heroes-Of-Faith.htm)
"God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: He makes saints out of sinners." by Søren Kierkegaard)
Read more on the people mentioned. Click names to find out who they are.
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
 |
| A comic strip of Heb 11:6. Click for a clearer image. |
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah,about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
(links taken from http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/tp/Hebrews-11-Heroes-Of-Faith.htm)
Week 3 Day 1 Read again and again.
Readers reread books for fun, comfort, new meaning and an appreciation of the craft of a book eg. Peter Damien and Scott Chesire. We reread a biblical text for all those reasons and more. Stories of faithful people tells us the character of God as seen through the eyes of a multitude of people through history. God speaks to us through their lives.
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
What stands out for you in Hebrews 11:1-40?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah,about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
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Do you have any questions about the verses?
Reflect on what the verse means today.
Note: If you plan to reflect on the biblical text as a group here are some ideas.
The Good Life: A Life of Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
What stands out for you in Hebrews 11:1-40?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah,about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Here are some possible question:
Who are the people mentioned?
Why are they important?
Reflect on what the verse means today.
Note: If you plan to reflect on the biblical text as a group here are some ideas.
Week 2 Day 7 What do you press on towards this year?
The Race (Philippians 3:12-14)
On TED talks, Rick Warren talks about about a life of purpose.
Where are you at and then taking small steps towards your goals. Narrowing the scope of our goals can be a challenge in itself.
Sometimes cultural norms determine the expectations we have of ourselves and others.
How do we listen to God as individuals and as a God-fearing community?
Being part of TSCF, helps narrow the scope a bit, we share in the broad aims of Global Reach, Undivided Life, True Witness and Deep Thought. Consider as students how we press on towards these goals. Anna has designed a picture of the aims using the words of the book and movie Divergent.
The decisions, we make helps us narrow down the question. The questions that we have can give us direction and goals to answer them (Often this is the start of a Phd research paper). Passion for causes can direct our lives. God speaks to us in different ways and equips us for work He wants us to do. He shows and directs how it is going to happen. Some are forced through life circumstances to narrow their goals like Debbie Millman, who shares the process of how she discovered her purpose here.
Nigel Pollock, National Director of TSCF, encourages us to Run the Good Race here.
On TED talks, Rick Warren talks about about a life of purpose.
Where are you at and then taking small steps towards your goals. Narrowing the scope of our goals can be a challenge in itself.
Sometimes cultural norms determine the expectations we have of ourselves and others.
How do we listen to God as individuals and as a God-fearing community?
Being part of TSCF, helps narrow the scope a bit, we share in the broad aims of Global Reach, Undivided Life, True Witness and Deep Thought. Consider as students how we press on towards these goals. Anna has designed a picture of the aims using the words of the book and movie Divergent.
The decisions, we make helps us narrow down the question. The questions that we have can give us direction and goals to answer them (Often this is the start of a Phd research paper). Passion for causes can direct our lives. God speaks to us in different ways and equips us for work He wants us to do. He shows and directs how it is going to happen. Some are forced through life circumstances to narrow their goals like Debbie Millman, who shares the process of how she discovered her purpose here.
Nigel Pollock, National Director of TSCF, encourages us to Run the Good Race here.
Week 2 Day 6 Sharing how this verse applies to you.
The Race (Philippians 3:12-14)
So, what kind of stories do we share with our friends?
Maybe, stories of how we met each other, our first shared experiences/ places/ song/ quote/ work and highlights of a game or movie or book.
Have you ever shared the story of how you came to know God/ your testimony? If you haven't here are some helpful questions to think about. Tell it as it is, be real and authentic.
Here is an interview of actors who worked on the Hobbit.
Tolkien the writer of The Hobbit was part of a Christian fellowship called The Inklings. This group seen from a Christian perspective included CS Lewis and the friendship amongst the members encouraged and sustained much good work purposed by God. How would talk about your journey together with others last year on campus? Just as the book "The Hobbit" is referred to constantly in these interviews, how are the verses we have learnt together as a fellowship played out in our lives as a group?
Share with this online community how this verse applies in your life?
Sharing such stories reenforces importance of listening to God through scripture and allows others be part of your life. John Piper shares how this verse impacts him in this article. What are your thoughts?
So, what kind of stories do we share with our friends?
Maybe, stories of how we met each other, our first shared experiences/ places/ song/ quote/ work and highlights of a game or movie or book.
Have you ever shared the story of how you came to know God/ your testimony? If you haven't here are some helpful questions to think about. Tell it as it is, be real and authentic.
Here is an interview of actors who worked on the Hobbit.
Tolkien the writer of The Hobbit was part of a Christian fellowship called The Inklings. This group seen from a Christian perspective included CS Lewis and the friendship amongst the members encouraged and sustained much good work purposed by God. How would talk about your journey together with others last year on campus? Just as the book "The Hobbit" is referred to constantly in these interviews, how are the verses we have learnt together as a fellowship played out in our lives as a group?
Share with this online community how this verse applies in your life?
Sharing such stories reenforces importance of listening to God through scripture and allows others be part of your life. John Piper shares how this verse impacts him in this article. What are your thoughts?
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