I continue in my daily studies to be guided by Tabletalk magazine. 2018 was a study on the Gospel of John and its straightforward presentation of the person and work of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and other doctrines.
- January 2018 (July 4, 2023 - July 23, 2023) John 1:1-2:22 - The preexistence of Christ, the ministry of John the Baptist and the person of Christ.
- February 2018 (July 24, 2023 - August 10, 2023) John 2:23 - 3:36 - Regeneration and our need to believe in Christ for Salvation
- March 2018 (August 13, 2023 - September 30, 2023) John 4:1 - 5:29 - Christ is the incarnate Son of God
- April 2018 (October 1, 2023 - November 6, 2023) John 5:30 - John 7:36 - Jesus is as necessary to our souls as food is to our body; Jesus teaches in the temple during the Feast of Booths
- May 2018 (November 7, 2023 - December 22, 2023) John 7:37 - John 9:41 - Jesus experiences opposition and there is a sin-motivated resistance people have toward being enslaved to sin.
- June 2018 (December 23, 2023 - January 21, 2024) John 10:1 - 11:57 - Jesus as our shepherd will lay down His life for His sheep, but some won't hear Him. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in order to impact the faith of the disciples.
- July 2018 (January 22, 2024 - March 14, 2024) John 12:1 - 13:20 - Jesus as Savior and Judge; salvation comes to Jesus' disciples and the judgment comes to all who reject Him.
- August 2018 (March 15, 2024 - April 12, 2024) John 13:21 - John 14:31 - Warnings Jesus gave on the night of the Last Supper and the blessed promise of the Holy Spirit.
- September 2018 (April 13, 2024 - May 9, 2024) John 15:1 - John 16:24 - Continuing Christ's Farewell Discourse and the meaning of abiding in Christ, the analogy of the vine and conviction/guidance of the Holy Spirit
- October 2018 (May 10, 2024 - July 19, 2024) John 16:25 - John 17:26 - Seeing Christ as our Intercessor, even on the night He was betrayed, Jesus will pray for His disciple; High Priestly Prayer
Chapter 16
The Love of the Father (John 16:25-28) - After Jesus departs, people will understand completely that Jesus has been sent by the Father and they will ask in Jesus' name and the Father will hear their prayers.
Jesus Predicts His Desertion (John 16:29-32) - The disciples state that they now believe Jesus came from God. Jesus lets them know that they will soon scatter to their own areas and He will have the Father with Him, never alone.
Overcoming the World in Christ (John 16:33) - Jesus offers additional encouragement to the disciples that though they will experience trials, He has overcome the world and therefore they will have comfort.
Chapter 17
Jesus Prays that He Might Glorify the Father (John 17:1-3) - Jesus voices in this prayer that the hour has come for the son to be glorified with the Father. Jesus came to give us all eternal life and this is a life of knowing God and His Son Jesus.
Jesus Prays to Be Glorified (John 17:4-5) - Jesus now prays that God's glory, which He possessed before the world was, would be returned to Him and that Glory would be with God the Father.
The Father's Gift to Christ (John 17:6) - Jesus prays thanking God for the disciples called out of this world, as gifts to Him, guardians of the Word.
What the Disciples Knew (John 17:7-8) - The disciples, as voiced by Jesus in this prayer, hear and receive, understand and believe - Jesus is from the Father and receives everything.
The Focused Prayers of Christ (John 17:9) - Jesus continues to pray for that have heard and believed, those are the one's he addresses here as those God gives to Jesus.
The Efficacious Prayers of Christ (John 17:10-13) - Our works are to Glorify Jesus, Glorify God. Jesus prays that the disciples, we, will be kept with God the Father and that we will have joy.
Staying in the World (John 17:14-16) - Jesus says in this prayer we will be hated by the world, but we are to stay in the world and he prays that we (disciples) will be kept from the evil one.
God's Means of Sanctification (John 17:17-19) - Jesus will offer himself for people, in obedience to God, so that we will be sanctified in truth to be set apart for Him and offer this truth to those in the world.
Jesus Prays for Our Unity (John 17:20-21) - Jesus prays that the all those hearing the testimony of the disciples will be One in truth for the benefit of the world believing.
Loved by the Father in the Son (John 17:22-23) - Jesus has come to declare God's glory - the truth of Who He Is and we are to be united, One, so that all we know God loves them.
Christ's Desire for Us (John 17:24) - Jesus desires through this prayer for us to be with Him, where He is at and to experience His glory, given by the Father to Him.
Making Known the Father's Name (John 17:25-26) - Contrary to the world, we who have been sent to Jesus by God, know Him and Jesus will continue to make God's name known so Christ will be in us and know God's love.
The Illusion of Control - Mistakes don't feel good. We don't want to make them and so we fear them. This can lead to shame or the painful feeling that I simply did something wrong to I am wrong as a person. Inside, we know we did wrong and so we try to hide our shame, like when Adam and Eve hid after sinning; or we rebel, as when Cain killed Abel. The prodigal son started out rebelling and returned home repenting while his brother sought for perfectionism - striving in our own strength to make everything right so that our shame is concealed; thinking Rhe had measured up. There is nothing wrong with striving to do well, like practicing something over and over and the Bible calls for this (Col. 3:23). But we preserve ourselves against shame by trying to be in control. Yet things always go awry. In farming, as was the way of the country originally, with people living in rural areas, sustaining their needs and also exporting product, there was a dependence on the seasons of the year. Through the advance of technology - electricity and refrigeration throughout our cities to help food last longer, through freezing and canning - we in turn control of our environment. We can keep in communication with our phones and we are educated to take care of diseases. But also in this process we learn control. But this is false control, because just when we think we are in control, we see that we are not. Our children don't act the way we teach them to act. Or a traffic jam or accident comes upon us on our way to work making us late. Or we get disappointed by someone in our life and their actions or words. We aren't perfect. Life is in disarray. We don't control the seasons or when we live or die. Yet, we can trust that "God is in control." He makes straight our paths (Prov. 3:6). He set the measurements of us (Psalm 139:14) and the earth (Job 38:4). And He has taken our shame - that idea that we are bad. He has rescued us from this and declares to the Father that we are good. And nothing can change this. Jesus has made us new. We don't need to hide, we are not afraid, instead we trust the One in control.
God's Control and Our Responsibility - Author remember RC Sproul and his mission to speak of the Goodness of God. Scripture speaks regularly that God is sovereign and he acts in a sovereign way. Yet, we still have responsibility for our actions. We are told to repent (Acts 17:30), to believe (16:31), to obey (Matt. 28:20), to work out our salvation (Phil 2:12), to do good (Gal. 6:9), to set our mind on things above (Gal. 3:2), to pray at all times (I Thess. 5:27) and to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18). Our thoughts, words, deeds matter. These work together he believes by looking at what is revealed - God's hidden will and God's revealed will, as compared to primary and secondary causation.
Planning for the Future while Trusting God's Provision - God, you are sovereign. And I am responsible for living according to Your will. I live between the call to trust You and the Call to act. Lord, I admit a struggle at times on when to do which and the temptation to be imbalanced -- thinking I am responsible solely. I over plan at times. I am tempted toward anxiety, fear, over-control, over-responsibility, perfectionism and anger - because often I feel it is all on me to make things happen. And yet on the other side, I can be tempted the direction towards laziness, passivity, stoicism, fatalism, and indecision - when I drift towards thinking it is all up to You. [Note: stoicism - the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint; fatalism - the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable.] I know God you encourage me through Your Word to be wise and prayerful in my planning recognizing that You are responsible and I am responsible, too. God, from the beginning you show me that You planted the garden of Eden but tasked Adam to "work it and keep it" (Gen. 2:8, 15), thus showing me your provision and my responsibility. You provide instructions, such as working six days, working enough each day to provide for my needs, and then resting on the 7th day, trusting You that I can rest, that you will providentially provide. Work is a part of living, and with my ability to work I am not to be a burden to others and yet can help others in need (Eph. 4:28). There are limits and I can only accomplish what you enable (Ps. 127:1-2). Remind me to be generous with what You have given me and yet not to the point that I tempt others to not work or provide for themselves. Give me plans for the money You provide, not simply hoarding it with no purpose. And yet this could mean at times you taking all that is mind for your purposes, even if I don't see those purposes clearly, but in this I can still submit to your loving and good purposes. Keep me walking close to You God in prayer, devotion, learning, guidance, direction - reminding me that my work matters and it is all according to Your purpose and will.
Pursuing Perfection with Sober Realism - O God, what keeps me going in the life You have given me is that there is always room for improvement. I have been created God in your image. You charged me to have dominion over the earth and to improve it, creating a desire for excellence in all things. I strive for perfection, to glorify You in all I do and say, and yet I recognize perfection is not possible as I continually see that I fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). I fight against sin all to often, though I know that one day sin shall be no more. You have made me a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), uniting me by my faith to the risen and exalted Lord. You God have shone your light in me, completely overhauling me as a new creation, giving me a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek. 36:26-27) to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). My old life of godless, self-centered, fleshly living has been crucified. Lord, continue to work Your Spirit in me pressing me to put to death sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness; and put away anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscure talk from my mouth; remove my lying lips toward others, putting on that new self, renewed in knowledge after the image of You Jesus (Col. 3:5-10). Help me to take a personal inventory often to see what needs to be put to death, killing what is identified. Lord, I praise you for the radiant colors of Christlikeness that are displayed even in my life. Place on me a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other as you God have forgiven me; dress me with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Col. 3:12-14). It is my aim God to please you (2 Cor. 5:9). Amen.
The Place of Godly Ambition - Lord, as I think about ambition, I ask what role it should have in my life and whether you promote ambition. James condemns those with selfish ambition (James 3:14) while Paul makes it his ambition to preach the gospel (Romans 15:20). God, ambition seems to be a strong desire that leads to a willingness to overcome obstacles to achieve a particular end. I know God that sin results in desires (lust, cravings, passions) that are self-seeking and pursue things not pleasing to You and my desire is often not for things that matter, but instead for things that are trivial and don't really matter. Train me God to value what You value and hate what You hate, to love what You love. Also, in achieving good things in my life that honor You, let me make sure my course for achieving them is honoring to You and glorifying You. Train me daily God, discipline me so that I am overcoming laziness, doing the right things, growing in godliness. There are times I may not feel like practicing discipline, so help me to continue in this, practicing delight in what You delight God. I am a child of You God, my creator, praying that Your Kingdom comes on this earth. I am called by You to be fruitful and multiply. Thank you for the gift of marriage with my wife and the wonderful children You have given me. My job is a part of Your plan for me and give me the strength and courage daily to do it well. As a church member, help me daily to do things that You have called me to do there. Thank you for people trusting me and valuing me. Keep helping me to know when I need to step up and do more without compromising the other roles and callings you have on my life.
Ordering the Home without Being Controlling - Father, my life often wallows between trying to be You, placing myself on the throne of my life, controlling my life, and me determining what is best for me rather than trusting You and living in submission to Your will and rule for my life. As a parent, learning to give up control was at times hard, but You moved my children to independence and I am thankful and encouraged as to how they are living their lives. Continue to give them wisdom and help them to honor You and see their lives always as coming from You and also the ability to live lives that reflect Your will. You Christ rule all things, and work all things for good and bring believers to being conformed to the image of Christ. Thank you for life God and the meaning and purpose found in everything we face. Thank you for the enjoyment of life and placing things around us to enjoy. Thank you for working in me and my daily circumstances to change me, conform me to your image, designing me for who I am to be. You love me and have my long-term best in mind so help me to keep trusting you even as momentary happiness is placed aside. Thank you for molding me and helping me be a better husband and person to live with. You are with me God. Thank you.
Embracing God's Sovereignty in Salvation and Our Role as His Heralds - Lord, thank you for speaking through this writer and helping me see that deep down my desire for people to know Christ is often colliding with my desire for people to like me. I am trying to manage both instead of choosing and trusting you for the outcome - and making knowing Christ most important. Yes, God, help me to know or how to know when to "lose" a relationship potentially and speak more frank to people about faith. Yes, I want there to be outcomes like the author shares in people coming to know You after I have taken the attitude of losing the relationship, but Lord, I know also I can't make that a formula. Heavenly Father, if I lose this relationship because I spoke about You, as hard as that loss would be for me, I would be OK with that. Free me up to venture and view relationships as a steward, not control it as if it were my possession. You are the Sovereign Master. Have Your way. Lord, I pray that I would be a faithful steward to You in all things. Help me to not believe the objection that because of Your sovereignty I do not have to make any effort. You are good. You are wise.
Trusting the Good and Sovereign God at Every Age - Favorite verse of Romans 8:28 that God works all things together for good for my life, for all of our lives can only happen if God is sovereign. This begins with being "knitted together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-15)." We are given aptitudes, talents, natural gifts but also deficiencies for His glory. Even a child with Downs syndrome or learning disabilities is part of His good for all of our lives. Individual decisions and plans, often when we are young and starting out, often give us these clear glimpses of seeing God's sovereign plan - major decisions of where we will go to college, who we marry, where we work coming about through open and closed doors helps us see the plan for our lives. As we age, we can look back and see the direction of our lives more clearly. As we age, some to long life while others have lives that seem to be cut short, yet we still believe or try to believe or try to have the confidence that this is His plan being worked out. In 2000, James Montgomery Boice diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and in his last sermon re-confirmed that God is sovereign indeed and yet He is not indifferent or not caring, but instead He is also good and everything He does is good. And so we accept or learn to accept the things that happen in our lives. In this is comfort in life and death - he fully paid for my sins with his blood, He preserves me and works all things together for my salvation, assuring me of eternal life and also to live for Him.
Prepare to Teach - Ezra is a neglected book of the Bible. Ezra lived between the eras of Solomon and John. Ezra instituted religious reforms. Ezra 7:10 remarks of the Bible teacher Ezra, "For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel." Ezra wanted to learn scripture deeply. And Ezra wanted to do the law of God. Be a teacher and do what you teach. May we all do the same.
The Love You Had At First - Letter to Ephesus in Revelation 2 is to a hard working church, not lazy or passive, active in learning, diligent and eager to help and serve. They stood for God's truth. They treasured it. They saw the false teacher. And this church, despite the persecution and assault continued to confess Jesus as Lord. And yet Jesus still had something against them. They did not possess a deep love for God. They were great in works but they were missing that devotion or love for God. I am to love God with all my heart, soul, and all my mind (Matt. 22:37).
Rhythms of Piety - Thank you God for the rhythms of life, the 24 hour day, the 7 day week, labor, rest. Rest is hard Lord. The expectations now to spend Sunday's serving my dad often, and yet Lord there still can be rest in service. Give me wisdom and guidance in this. Keep me intertwined in these rhythms.
Peace in Marriage - A Christian marriage should be peaceful, yet there can still be difference of opinions, serious questions, iron sharpening iron, serious discussions, confrontation, freedom to disagree, but also expectation to resolve. Our aim in marriage should always be to be reconciled to God through Christ's atonement which will provide peace with God.
Communing with God in Scripture - Lord, it is in your Word, reading, studying it, that I really find my ultimate peace. It is the mark of my life, meeting with You, learning from You. I am so grateful to be living in this time when access to Your book and lessons form other teachers and speakers from ages past are so easily accessible. Help me to encourage this in others and to praise others as it occurs.
Forgiveness and Restoration to Ministry - When a pastor falls, restore him. There should be evidence of genuine sorrow, and then forgiveness should be granted (2 Cor. 2).
Design Matters - Design. God first placed humanity in a garden, a designed place. God planted a place of exquisite beauty, a place of profound usefulness, but not all of its design is good. What is our role in the design of a church? The building should support its aim. Soaring cathedrals lift the eyes of congregants heavenward. But then Puritans focused us on the pulpit. Design is important in these current times as people in our world expect good design. We are to be careful in our design both with fellow believers and the world around us.
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