This weeks study is of Matt 6-7.
Continuing the sermon on the mount. In these verses there is so much good stuff. So many verses you will be familiar with. Some of it might sound same old, same old, but depending on where you are at, at this time of your life, different verses will impact different people as we read them this week.
I'm kinda gutted I'm not teaching this week, as I've already developed plenty of great material as I've gone over these chapters a few times.
I'll try and share my thoughts verse by verse.
6:1-8 Verses about being humble and not bragging about how you worship. But worship meekly.
6:7 says not to use vain repetition. Followed by the lords prayer. So why do so many other faiths vainly repeat the lords prayer?
6:11 What does 'give us this day our daily bread' mean? Please ensure my family & I have enough.
6:12 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive others' is elaborated on in verses 14 and 15. Debts, meaning debt of sin.
6:13 'Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil'. Does God lead us into temptation? Or does the devil? JST states 'Suffer us not to be lead into temptation...'. Does this change the meaning of the verse? Is that not more like saying 'please don't let lucifer attack me, but if he does, please help me'.
6:14-15 Don't expect heavenly father to be forgiving towards you, if you yourself are not forgiving. 7:1-2 is similar to this in that it says don't judge others, so that you are in turn not judged. But taking this a step further. If we are to be like God, is god not a forgiving God. Then we too must learn to be forgiving. No better place to learn forgiveness, than in family settings. The number of times I have had to be forgiving towards my own son this week! Just tonight I had to be forgiving towards him for getting upset because his new toothbrush was a Dusty Crophopper toothbrush instead of a Lightning McQueen toothbrush. When you raise kids it is easy to be forgiving because you know what they are complaining about is petty and they are naive. You know the do not know any better, but one day they will, and they will not be complaining about which Disney character is on their toothbrush. In fact, they won't even want a graphic on their toothbrush. Parents, how many times have you compared your kids tantrums to your own behaviour before God? I often think to myself, how am I like my boy is to me, before God? I don't always come up with an answer there and them. But given the frequency of these occurrences, I am able to identify various behaviours now and again.
6:17 How many of us are guilty of disfiguring our faces? I'm sure it was President Uchtdorf that recently spoke about why this should not be the case. The gospel is good new and a gospel of joy. I might add, even when fasting and during times of adversity.
19 Lay up treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So is your heart set on things of the earth, or set upon things of heaven? I cannot read that verse without even just a small thought about some of the things on earth that I value, that I realise are actually of no value. I feel like the rich young ruler now and again, feeling sorrowful, but hopefully able to change. Matt 19:16-26.
6:22-23 If I have time I will come back to these verses as they are verses I don't understand very well and I know at some point I need to make more of an effort to understand them better.
6:24 Hate one and despise the other. Is it possible to serve the one you despise? What about addiction? Is there a behaviour you deal with on a regular basis that is contrary to Gods laws? Does this mean you despise God? No, you do love him, there is more going in our lives to make it so simple.
6:25-34 The remaining verses are difficult for me. I'm passionate about self reliance. I've also just finished the personal finances course. Nowhere in there does it say take no thought for tomorrow. Quite on the contrary, it talks about having a 1 month emergency fund, then a 3-6 month emergency fund, then retirement. That is very much taking thought for tomorrow and a significant number of tomorrow beyond that.
I understand these verses are promoting faith, but I'm currently at odds with the general idea about not 'taking no thought for the morrow'. I need to ponder this more.
The church's institute manuals suggest this idea means two things.
1. Do not be overly anxious or worried about tomorrow. Do not let worldly concerns cause us to lose trust in our Father in Heaven or become distracted from seeking the kingdom of Heaven.
2. Don't borrow trouble from tomorrow, you have enough to deal with today.
https://www.lds.org/study/manual/new-testament-student-manual/introduction-to-matthew/chapter-3?lang=eng
7:1 Am I a harsh Judge? If I'm honest, I can be a harsh judge. So I shouldn't be to surprised if I learn that someone is critical of me.
7:7-11 Ask and it shall be given you. If ye being evil know how to give a good gift, how much more shall your father give good things.
We may not like being called evil, but by comparison to God, we are. These verses do not refer to blessings, which usually come by obedience to certain laws, but they refer to gifts. Gifts should be given with no expectations and can come without necessarily being obedient to any specific law. Only that our father wants us to be happy.
7:12 My favourite rule is the golden rule. Treat others as you would want to be treated. This includes how we judge & forgive others, but also includes all other aspects of our lives.
Not completely fail safe. For example if I 'communicate' with my wife in my love language, I will likely be slapped around the face in no time. I need to treat her how she wants to be treated. But in the main, if you want to make friends, not enemies, if you want people to be nice to you, be nice to them.
It's a super simple rule.
7:13-14 Not sure about this one. Is this Jesus saying the holy ones will always be few in number. You will always be the odd one out. You will always feel like you are different. You will always feel peer pressure. If you hold true, you will make it, but the path, though straight, is easy to wonder from. By virtue of the fact that you are reading this verse, this would imply that you are on the path, or at least heading back towards the path.
7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. The term true colours also comes to mind. I think a bad person can bring forth good looking fruit. But only so much. Enough to entice. Then once a bite has been taken, it will have gotten us.
Is there any bad fruit, or more importantly, bad trees in our lives at the moment? If so, what can we do about it?
7:19 How do we chop it down and case into the fire?
7:21 Listening and learning about the word, will not save you. Being a content zombie will not save you. Knowledge alone will not save you. You need to do the Fathers will. And what is the Fathers will? Follow the commandments.
7:26 If you hear these things and do them not, you are foolish.
7:24 If you hear them and do them, you are wise.
Am I a doer? Am I acting? Am I following the promptings of the spirit to commit to something this week. Maybe the spirit is saying press in and give one of these difficult questions some thought and come back with a good answer. Stop avoiding the question.
7:29 The comment about the saviour teaching with authority has been mentioned a few times so far in our New Testament reading.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Feb 18-24
Lots of classic verses in these chapters.
Matt 5 & Luke 6 are almost identical.
Matt 5:20 sounds very harsh, but I suspect what he is really saying is that the law of Moses (the law the scribes and Pharisees keep) doesn't have the power to save you. This new higher las does. He lays out the old law and teaches the new law.
Matt 5 & Luke 6 are almost identical.
Matt 5:20 sounds very harsh, but I suspect what he is really saying is that the law of Moses (the law the scribes and Pharisees keep) doesn't have the power to save you. This new higher las does. He lays out the old law and teaches the new law.
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
At 1st glance it seems rather harsh. But as I’ve pondered it I’ve realised it’s very applicable to us today.
What I think Jesus is saying here is you need to live a higher law. The law of Moses was just preparing you for this.
Have we been asked to live a higher law lately? Ministering? Gospel Centred Home Learning?
Are we going to live the old law like the scribes and Pharisees that will only get us so far, or are we going be like Jesus disciples of old live the harder but more rewarding law?
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Feb 11-17
John 2-4
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 2
Miracle of turning water into wine. Money changers in the Temple.
Chapter 3
Nicodemus taught about Baptism. John's testimony of the Saviour. Teaching about the Saviour's divine role.
Chapter 4
Samaritan woman at the well.
v42: we have heard him ourselves, and know that he is the christ
A lot of Christ's early ministry seems to be focused around baptism.
It would be so easy to teach about 3:1-6. But we've heard it so many times before.
What references to water are there in these 3 chapters?
Water into Wine - Miracle
Born of the water and of the spirit (John 3:5)
Everlasting well of living water (John 4:10-14)
Questions from the manual that are necessary to be asked.
1. What insights do you gain about the power of christ to change you? John 2:1-11
2. What role did your baptism and confirmation play in being born again? John 3:1-21
3. What are you doing to continue this process of change? John 3:1-21
4. How have you felt the love of God through the gifts of His Son? John 3:16-17
5. What could you do to make the sacrament more meaningful? John 3:16-17
6. How is the gospel like living water? John 4:7-26
7. What are you doing to "worship the father in spirit and truth"? John 4:7-26
Ideas
Pay special attention to how the Savior used everyday things--birth, wind, water, and food--to teach spiritual truths. What items in your home can you use to teach spiritual truths? When I was in the MTC a game we played was how we can liken the gospel to everyday things. I used this exercise many years later when I instructed that before we could watch our movie and eat our pizza for one home evening, we had to compare the gospel to pizza.
Living water, well of water never thirsting again. Meat, "I have meat to eat that yea know not of" 4:v32, Man shall not live by bread alone Matt 4:4.
Born again
Why is rebirth a good metaphor?
-We are given a fresh start, as if we were born, clean, no sin.
-Become children if the saviour and take upon us his name, not that we were not children of god already.
Personal Answers to the questions above.
1. What insights do you gain about the power of christ to change you? John 2:1-11
A couple of points about John 2:1-11 1st.
v5. Mary asked the servants for exactness. Interesting that the servants would be so precise. Servants are used to obeying orders. If Jesus has asked non-servants to do something would they have been so obedient.
v6. 1 firkin is 9 gallons (41 litres), 2 firkins is 18 gallons (80 litres), 3 firkins is 27 gallons (120 litres). There were 6 pots of up to 120 litres. Thats 720 litres. When we have a ward activity how many litres of drink do we bring? And this water/wine was just to be used for the end of the celebrations. Thus presumably, a significant amount had already been consumed, so much so that that the party had run out. So this was no small thing. It wasn't a cup, or two, it was about 4 bath tubs full.
v10. It was also quality wine, as reported by governor. Not just some 'infused' water.
v11. At this point, we are still at the very early point of Jesus' ministry.
So I suppose I can ask myself, if Christ can change water into wine, is there anything he cannot do? If he can do the impossible, then can I not expect also the impossible? One of the things we get stuck thinking is that I can't be forgiven. I'm too bad. Too unclean. That is not true.
Also, turning water into wine, seems very superficial. Especially as we just learned that he would not turn stone into bread. But this miracle, was not for him. I believe it was for the servants.
2. What role did your baptism and confirmation play in being born again? John 3:1-21
v3-4 Jesus says we need to be born again. Nicodemus takes this very literally and says how can I enter the womb again? I'm reminded of someone we will read in the next chapter when he talks about meat. John 4:31-34. His disciples beckon him to eat the food they have brought to him. He says 'I have meat to eat that ye know no of'. His disciples respond 'Hath any man brought him ought to eat?'
These very literal interpretations of what the saviour is saying seem to imply how rooted the Jewish law of exactness and how blinded they are.
v14-15 brilliant comparison to Moses asking the people to look to serpent. Though technically, the raised serpent was a likeness of the Saviour, not the other way round.
For my, my baptism was when I was 8 years old. Let's be honest. I didn't really have my own testimony at this age. I believed, yes, but I did not understand (not that I really understand now). I knew the difference between right and wrong. My baptism was like a rebirth is that I was cleansed and had a fresh start and I became a member of the church and again became part of this family by taking upon myself the name of Christ. All significant stuff. But at the time, though I understood my baptism was special, it didn't really impact my life. That didn't happen until I started to gain my own testimony and started really repenting and applying some of the fundamental principles of the gospel. Thats when change really happened.
Again, going back to a podcast I listened to this week, I can't remember the context, or the precise words, but the idea was planted in my mind that the only way to grow is through pain, hard times, adversity. Maybe not 100% true, but I can guarantee, growth through no effort is going to be extremely slow. You're better off going through hell!
I googled 'is it possible to grow without adversity'. The results were pretty much no.
the 1st result says 'there is no growth without adversity'.
3. What are you doing to continue this process of change? John 3:1-21
The question about what I'm currently doing is more poignant. This is a more important self reflection question. It causes me to consider how I'm living my life, am I applying the atonement in my life as fervently as maybe I once had.
I do take the sacrament each week. But am I changing each week? If so, very slowly at the moment. Maybe there are even weeks when my change is in the wrong direction! I know if I was to be taking the sacrament properly each week then change every week would be a positive change.
For those of you who have already reached a state of perfection I suppose change is impossible, but for the rest of us, we are still trying to figure this out.
Another thing I'm working on is my come follow me study. My study is aided by the fact that I have a responsibility to teach, so in a way, I consider myself slightly advantaged. You could put the compelled to be humble (Alma 32:13-14) spin on it though and then I'm disadvantaged.
4. How have you felt the love of God through the gifts of His Son? John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Note the question says 'gifts of His Son' not 'gift of His Son', obviously implying that His Son has brought to us multiple gifts.
So what are they?
-Resurrection
-Forgiveness
-Agency (technically a gift from God, but only possible because He sacrificed himself).
-His life (in more ways than one, yes he died, but he gave his will to His [our] father also, everything he did was to ensure we could be reunited with our Father in Heaven again, it's this one that gets me).
-Any more?
My greatest moments of appreciation and love have come through personal moments when I know I've been forgiven for something and when I've understood something on a new higher level and felt my testimony grow.
5. What could you do to make the sacrament more meaningful? John 3:16-17
In Q3 I refer to the sacrament too. What can I do, who has a 3 year old and a 1 year old to look after, make the sacrament more meaningful? Thats easy, give the kids to my wife.
For me, this question is not about how I can make it more meaning to me, but to my family as a whole.
We can teach our kids about the sacrament ordinance. Ideally, this will be done at home before Sunday. But it tends to happen just before the sacrament ordinance. We do have a picture of the saviour breaking bread in our home we can use as a reference point to teach them.
On a personal level, I suppose preparation for the sacrament begins the moment we finish partaking of our last sacrament.
6. How is the gospel like living water? John 4:7-26
I don't know, what is living water?
Water suitable for living organisms, unlike the salty dead sea?
Water does bring life. We need water. We are water. 60% - 55%.
In fact, we have been talking about/reading about baptism over the last couple of weeks. Baptism by immersion helps us to be born again and start a new life.
v14. Living water satisfies thirst. It is self sufficient. A perpetual motion machine!
7. What are you doing to "worship the father in spirit and truth"? John 4:7-26
What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth?
Siri?
Bruce R McConkie said in 1971 https://www.lds.org/study/ensign/1971/12/how-to-worship?lang=eng
Thus our purpose is to worship the true and living God and to do it by the power of the Spirit and in the way he has ordained.
If a man worships a cow or a crocodile, he can gain any reward that cows and crocodiles happen to be passing out this season.
If he worships the laws of the universe or the forces of nature, no doubt the earth will continue to spin, the sun to shine, and the rains to fall on the just and on the unjust.
But if he worships the true and living God, in spirit and in truth, then God Almighty will pour out his Spirit upon him, and he will have power to raise the dead, move mountains, entertain angels, and walk in celestial streets.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 2
Miracle of turning water into wine. Money changers in the Temple.
Chapter 3
Nicodemus taught about Baptism. John's testimony of the Saviour. Teaching about the Saviour's divine role.
Chapter 4
Samaritan woman at the well.
v42: we have heard him ourselves, and know that he is the christ
A lot of Christ's early ministry seems to be focused around baptism.
It would be so easy to teach about 3:1-6. But we've heard it so many times before.
What references to water are there in these 3 chapters?
Water into Wine - Miracle
Born of the water and of the spirit (John 3:5)
Everlasting well of living water (John 4:10-14)
Questions from the manual that are necessary to be asked.
1. What insights do you gain about the power of christ to change you? John 2:1-11
2. What role did your baptism and confirmation play in being born again? John 3:1-21
3. What are you doing to continue this process of change? John 3:1-21
4. How have you felt the love of God through the gifts of His Son? John 3:16-17
5. What could you do to make the sacrament more meaningful? John 3:16-17
6. How is the gospel like living water? John 4:7-26
7. What are you doing to "worship the father in spirit and truth"? John 4:7-26
Ideas
Pay special attention to how the Savior used everyday things--birth, wind, water, and food--to teach spiritual truths. What items in your home can you use to teach spiritual truths? When I was in the MTC a game we played was how we can liken the gospel to everyday things. I used this exercise many years later when I instructed that before we could watch our movie and eat our pizza for one home evening, we had to compare the gospel to pizza.
Living water, well of water never thirsting again. Meat, "I have meat to eat that yea know not of" 4:v32, Man shall not live by bread alone Matt 4:4.
Born again
Why is rebirth a good metaphor?
-We are given a fresh start, as if we were born, clean, no sin.
-Become children if the saviour and take upon us his name, not that we were not children of god already.
Personal Answers to the questions above.
1. What insights do you gain about the power of christ to change you? John 2:1-11
A couple of points about John 2:1-11 1st.
v5. Mary asked the servants for exactness. Interesting that the servants would be so precise. Servants are used to obeying orders. If Jesus has asked non-servants to do something would they have been so obedient.
v6. 1 firkin is 9 gallons (41 litres), 2 firkins is 18 gallons (80 litres), 3 firkins is 27 gallons (120 litres). There were 6 pots of up to 120 litres. Thats 720 litres. When we have a ward activity how many litres of drink do we bring? And this water/wine was just to be used for the end of the celebrations. Thus presumably, a significant amount had already been consumed, so much so that that the party had run out. So this was no small thing. It wasn't a cup, or two, it was about 4 bath tubs full.
v10. It was also quality wine, as reported by governor. Not just some 'infused' water.
v11. At this point, we are still at the very early point of Jesus' ministry.
So I suppose I can ask myself, if Christ can change water into wine, is there anything he cannot do? If he can do the impossible, then can I not expect also the impossible? One of the things we get stuck thinking is that I can't be forgiven. I'm too bad. Too unclean. That is not true.
Also, turning water into wine, seems very superficial. Especially as we just learned that he would not turn stone into bread. But this miracle, was not for him. I believe it was for the servants.
2. What role did your baptism and confirmation play in being born again? John 3:1-21
v3-4 Jesus says we need to be born again. Nicodemus takes this very literally and says how can I enter the womb again? I'm reminded of someone we will read in the next chapter when he talks about meat. John 4:31-34. His disciples beckon him to eat the food they have brought to him. He says 'I have meat to eat that ye know no of'. His disciples respond 'Hath any man brought him ought to eat?'
These very literal interpretations of what the saviour is saying seem to imply how rooted the Jewish law of exactness and how blinded they are.
v14-15 brilliant comparison to Moses asking the people to look to serpent. Though technically, the raised serpent was a likeness of the Saviour, not the other way round.
For my, my baptism was when I was 8 years old. Let's be honest. I didn't really have my own testimony at this age. I believed, yes, but I did not understand (not that I really understand now). I knew the difference between right and wrong. My baptism was like a rebirth is that I was cleansed and had a fresh start and I became a member of the church and again became part of this family by taking upon myself the name of Christ. All significant stuff. But at the time, though I understood my baptism was special, it didn't really impact my life. That didn't happen until I started to gain my own testimony and started really repenting and applying some of the fundamental principles of the gospel. Thats when change really happened.
Again, going back to a podcast I listened to this week, I can't remember the context, or the precise words, but the idea was planted in my mind that the only way to grow is through pain, hard times, adversity. Maybe not 100% true, but I can guarantee, growth through no effort is going to be extremely slow. You're better off going through hell!
I googled 'is it possible to grow without adversity'. The results were pretty much no.
the 1st result says 'there is no growth without adversity'.
3. What are you doing to continue this process of change? John 3:1-21
The question about what I'm currently doing is more poignant. This is a more important self reflection question. It causes me to consider how I'm living my life, am I applying the atonement in my life as fervently as maybe I once had.
I do take the sacrament each week. But am I changing each week? If so, very slowly at the moment. Maybe there are even weeks when my change is in the wrong direction! I know if I was to be taking the sacrament properly each week then change every week would be a positive change.
For those of you who have already reached a state of perfection I suppose change is impossible, but for the rest of us, we are still trying to figure this out.
Another thing I'm working on is my come follow me study. My study is aided by the fact that I have a responsibility to teach, so in a way, I consider myself slightly advantaged. You could put the compelled to be humble (Alma 32:13-14) spin on it though and then I'm disadvantaged.
4. How have you felt the love of God through the gifts of His Son? John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Note the question says 'gifts of His Son' not 'gift of His Son', obviously implying that His Son has brought to us multiple gifts.
So what are they?
-Resurrection
-Forgiveness
-Agency (technically a gift from God, but only possible because He sacrificed himself).
-His life (in more ways than one, yes he died, but he gave his will to His [our] father also, everything he did was to ensure we could be reunited with our Father in Heaven again, it's this one that gets me).
-Any more?
My greatest moments of appreciation and love have come through personal moments when I know I've been forgiven for something and when I've understood something on a new higher level and felt my testimony grow.
5. What could you do to make the sacrament more meaningful? John 3:16-17
In Q3 I refer to the sacrament too. What can I do, who has a 3 year old and a 1 year old to look after, make the sacrament more meaningful? Thats easy, give the kids to my wife.
For me, this question is not about how I can make it more meaning to me, but to my family as a whole.
We can teach our kids about the sacrament ordinance. Ideally, this will be done at home before Sunday. But it tends to happen just before the sacrament ordinance. We do have a picture of the saviour breaking bread in our home we can use as a reference point to teach them.
On a personal level, I suppose preparation for the sacrament begins the moment we finish partaking of our last sacrament.
6. How is the gospel like living water? John 4:7-26
I don't know, what is living water?
Water suitable for living organisms, unlike the salty dead sea?
Water does bring life. We need water. We are water. 60% - 55%.
In fact, we have been talking about/reading about baptism over the last couple of weeks. Baptism by immersion helps us to be born again and start a new life.
v14. Living water satisfies thirst. It is self sufficient. A perpetual motion machine!
7. What are you doing to "worship the father in spirit and truth"? John 4:7-26
What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth?
Siri?
Bruce R McConkie said in 1971 https://www.lds.org/study/ensign/1971/12/how-to-worship?lang=eng
Thus our purpose is to worship the true and living God and to do it by the power of the Spirit and in the way he has ordained.
If a man worships a cow or a crocodile, he can gain any reward that cows and crocodiles happen to be passing out this season.
If he worships the laws of the universe or the forces of nature, no doubt the earth will continue to spin, the sun to shine, and the rains to fall on the just and on the unjust.
But if he worships the true and living God, in spirit and in truth, then God Almighty will pour out his Spirit upon him, and he will have power to raise the dead, move mountains, entertain angels, and walk in celestial streets.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Feb 4-10
Kinda sad that the weeks study where Jesus says "come follow me" is not a Sunday school week.
Ask the class if they are able to summarise the content of the chapters and if they had any insights.
Summary of Matt 4
Jesus goes into the wilderness to fast. Following this, he started his ministry.
Summary of Luke 4-5
Jesus goes into the wilderness to fast. Following this he starts his ministry. He begins to proclaim prophecies are being fulfilled.
The Temptations of Christ - Howard W Hunter
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1976/10/the-temptations-of-christ?lang=eng
Luke 4:37, 40-43 Echoes of 3 Nephi 17:7-10, 19:1-3.
Healing of the sick, one by one.
Fame.
Calling his disciples.
Luke 5:26 After all the miracles Jesus preforms the people say "we have seen strange things today". This line just made me chuckle.
Ask the class if they are able to summarise the content of the chapters and if they had any insights.
Summary of Matt 4
Jesus goes into the wilderness to fast. Following this, he started his ministry.
Summary of Luke 4-5
Jesus goes into the wilderness to fast. Following this he starts his ministry. He begins to proclaim prophecies are being fulfilled.
The Temptations of Christ - Howard W Hunter
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1976/10/the-temptations-of-christ?lang=eng
Luke 4:37, 40-43 Echoes of 3 Nephi 17:7-10, 19:1-3.
Healing of the sick, one by one.
Fame.
Calling his disciples.
Luke 5:26 After all the miracles Jesus preforms the people say "we have seen strange things today". This line just made me chuckle.
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