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046Up coming Study on Romans

posted by Jared on March 4th, 2010

This week we will be studying Romans chapter 11. Hope to see you there.

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034Studying the Book of Romans

posted by Tami on February 22nd, 2010

Once again we see Paul’s passion come out. But what is his passion for? It is to see his friends, his family, and his countrymen the Israelites to come to Christ, and to understand what God’s plan was and is for them and for the world. In chapter 9 we saw how passionate Paul is for Israel, so passionate that he would be willing to give up his own salvation so they might get it. But what is it that they don’t get? Paul says in verse 2-3 “2I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.

-      Questions

  • What is zeal? Or what is this zeal Paul is referring to?
  • How can Paul make these accusations that their zeal is misdirected?
  • What is missing, what don’t they understand?

-      What is zeal?

  • Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance.
    • What was Israel’s enthusiastic devotion too?
      • The law
      • The idea that God is going to make them great among nations.
      • Wiping out the Christians.
      • Working their way to God.
      • Trying to make themselves righteous in Gods sight.

-      What does Paul know about zeal? Was he himself very zealous? Yes Paul’s idea of zeal comes straight from his own experience. On his way to Damascus to kill and rid this world of these Jesus followers. Why was he going to do this? Because, what he thought was right. And that he was keeping the law. But he was blinded, knocked off his horse, and shown who Jesus was. Shown what Gods plan was.

-      So what is missing, what don’t they understand?

  • Gods plan, his righteousness, his covenantal faithfulness.
  • That they are part of something amazing
    • NT Wright gives an example of Israel and the law, and it goes like this, Christ is the rocket ship and underneath the ship are the rocket boosters. The boosters are the law of God, the Israelites, and the ship needs these boosters to propel itself out of the atmosphere. As the ship reaches a certain point in the sky the ship sheds these boosters. So what does this mean for Israel and the law? It means that they were the means to something great.  But not only that, their captain is Jesus Christ, an Israelite, the one true Jew, and is God himself.
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020Predestination

posted by Jared on February 22nd, 2010

Below you will find notes from our study. Format is discussion… For questions, please contact

Leader:Jared Paxton
paxtonjared@yahoo.com

What are so thoughts that go through your head when you hear predestination?
Where does your theology come from?
Is it sound (biblically based) theology?
Do you see predestination as God handpicked you?
                                   – What is the word mean?
                                  o Predestination: is a religious concept, which involves the relationship between God and his creation. The religious character of predestination distinguishes it from other ideas about determinism and free will.

Individualistic vs. nationalistic:
                                   - Most of us think of predestination as an individual process. God has predestined us to be Christians, to be saved. But if that’s the case then everything has been thought out are freewill has been stripped away and all that’s left is a God pulling the strings of life.
                                   o Matt 22:1-14
                                   o So what does this mean? Is Gods destination bigger than just us?

                                   – Instead of think that were predestined to be a certain way, why not look at in a nationalistic frame of thought. Or more in a big picture scheme.
What is the big picture?
                                    o Gen 3:14-15
Here we start to see Gods plan, his work through creation.
                                    o Gen 15:4-6
                                    o Gen 17:3-8
                                    o Exodus 20 ( God gives Israel his law)
Why is this important to predestination?
                                    o Jesus all gospels
He fulfills the old testament
Builds a new airplane (Illustration)
                                    • The law of the flesh that was give through Israel was like a single prop sesna.
                                    • Jesus fulfills the law of the flesh and brought forth the law of the spirit, and built a new bigger plane to get to the destination.

But does that mean we aren’t predestined at all? No, like it says in Matt. 22:1-14 “ all have been invited to the party but many have declined the invitation.”

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