Tuesday's Tuning in the Word (3.7.2023)
Question 9 of our Scripture Catechism | Sunday's Sermon |
Scripture Catechism
Q9: What books are included in the Old Testament Minor Prophets?
A9: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
These Minor Prophets are not so designated due to their lack of importance but their lack of size. These prophets cover approximately 500 years of Israelite history that connect with the previous episodes found in the historical portion of the Old Testament.
(From Approved Workman)
I encourage you to grab a good study Bible (I recommend the ESV Study Bible) and see the context of where each of these prophets pronounced God’s Word. You’ll see the struggles they had in how God operated in the world but also the resolution in God’s faithfulness in the midst of Israel’s unfaithfulness.
Sunday’s Sermon: The Conversation That Jesus Has With Us All (Mark 8:22-33)
We all have people in our lives that influence us for good or for bad. Let me tell you about one sermon I heard that influenced me for good--specifically, in how I read and preach the Scriptures. It was 1996, I believe. Well, it was my first stint at the seminary when I was a Church Music Major. I was also the Associational Music Lead for the Henry County Baptist Association, Henry County, KY. Every September, we would have our associational annual meeting and bring in a preacher. That year, we brought in Dr. Robert Smith. An African-American preacher, he made the Scriptures come alive with a unique and particular cadence that kept us all captivated.
Part of the cadence was a phrase he kept saying over and over. “I’m here in this text.” “I’m here in this text.” “I’m here in this text.” It may sound absurd, given that the text he was preaching from was from an event that took place two centuries earlier. How did that change me? And how is it still changing me?
King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” While things have changed industrially, technologically, medically, scientifically, and in numerous other ways, we can still say with the apostle Paul, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
It’s a reminder that we are all in these conversations that Jesus has, whether with those in physical and spiritual torment or with those who were prideful in their standing before God. “I’m here in this text.” And these three questions and a rebuke are a conversation that Jesus has with us all.
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Getting into God's Word by Mike Adams
When I first became a Christian, I was told that reading the Bible was like food and prayer was like breathing. That was great advice, but there was a problem. I’m not a good reader. I have gotten better over the years, but I wouldn’t say I’m a great reader even now. So how do I and others like me get the Bible into our minds, hearts and spirits?
Here are some tips which have helped me over the years. I hope you find them helpful too.
(Via Challies)
Five Types of Sermons that Fall Short by Mark Hallock
Take a moment and think about the different types of sermons you have heard preached over the course of your life. Different styles. Different approaches to handling the text. Different preacher personalities. If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have probably listened to many different types of preaching. While hopefully you have been blessed to sit under strong, expositional, God-centered, Christ-focused, Spirit-empowered, preaching, I'm guessing you have listened to preaching that was not marked by these things as well. I know I have.