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Devotions & Ideas
Related Pages: Connect with Jesus Beliefs, Mission & Values Connect with Joy
Current Teachings Jesus
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Bible Reading Guides
These Bible Reading Guides will help give you some direction in your daily communion with God. Meditate and grow in Christ through the Word.
New & Growing Believers - 30 days
The Four Gospels - 90 days
The Book of Acts - 28 days
The Letters of Paul - 60 days
New Testament & Daily Proverb - 6 months
(Old Testament Reading Guides being developed)
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Some Keys to Growth
1) Establish a daily communion time with your Heavenly Father. Invest in your relationship with Him. This is your daily bread. Should include - the Scriptures, prayer, worship and praise, listening to His voice.
2) Connect with a spiritual leader, a Pastor. This gives strength, accountability, wisdom, protection, authority and growth.
3) Connect with the Body of Christ in a local Church. Gives strength, wisdom, encouragement, support and growth. In order to live a Biblical Christian life, you must remain in community with other believers.
4) Find a place to serve in your local Church and in your local community.
5) Structure your life around your spiritual growth, your ministry to others and your fellowship with other believers. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
6) Seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit everyday. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Be sensitive to His promptings. Be obedient to His leading. Do not quench His voice in your inner man.
7) Find someone to disciple. Do your part to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus. Matthew 28:19-20.
8) Fill your mind with the Word of God - the Scriptures. This will bring opportunity for renewal and repentance. We must have the Scriptures to live as the new humanity. We must meditate on God's Word in order to become like Christ. Romans 12:1-2.
Pastor Ron Laney, The Church of Joy, P.O. Box 465, Williamson, GA 30292 www.TheChurchofJoy.org
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Recommended Reading - Books Every Believer Should Read
(in my opinion - Ron Laney)
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The Bible - first & foremost without a doubt
An Odyssey in Preparation by Jack Hollis
Basic Christianity by John Stott
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Book of God by Walter Wangerin
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti
Hinds Feet on High Places
Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall
The Way of the Master by Ray Comfort
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It's Not About Me by Max Lucado
In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
by Eugene Peterson
The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson
Answering God by Eugene Peterson
The Reason for God by Tim Keller
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
Parenting by the Book by John Rosemond
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
(more to be added later)
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Insights to Understanding the Bible
1) The Bible is one big story made of many smaller stories - two Testaments, many generations, many people, many places, many experiences, many writers, one Author, one Story.
2) The Bible ultimately is a revelation of God, His goodness, His benevolence, His character, His nature, His wisdom, His judgments, His ways, His faithfulness. Dive into the Scriptures looking for Him.
3) It's an invitation for us to be a part of God's Story. It was written and passed down to help us know God and be a part of His Kingdom.
4) Believe what you read, don't just read what you believe. Let the Scriptures shape your thinking. Resist the urge to shape or twist the Text into what you want it to say. Draw the meaning out of the Text. Studying the Bible book by book - exegetical - helps us stay on track. Random choosing of verses can be good for some applications, but it should not be the everyday practice of disciples.
5) Context is king. Each story, thought, principle or teaching has a particular setting and context. Maintaining this context helps us understand what the Holy Spirit meant when He inspired it and what it means for us, today. Insights into history, Hebrew culture, first century living and such are very helpful.
6) Study the teachings of Jesus, inside and out. We are followers of Jesus Christ, first & foremost. A true disciple must know Who Jesus is, what He accomplished and how He teaches us to live. The teachings of Jesus literally open up the entire Scriptures (Old & New). Nearly everything Jesus said and did can be traced back to the Old Testament. Discovering these truths in the Bible will become the joy of your heart.
7) Talk to the Author, Holy Spirit. Whenever you need insight & revelation, ask the Holy Spirit what He meant and what He wants you to see and hear and do. It is highly recommended that you ask the Spirit before you consult commentaries, books or people. He is our Teacher.
8) Types of study - book studies, chapter studies, people studies, place studies, word studies, topical studies, etc.
9) Use this tool in your studies and record your discoveries - The 5 Storylines of Scripture (pdf) - This PDF is in the format of a large postcard, page 1 is the front and page 2 is the back. You may want to print it out on heavy stock paper and laminate it. Can be used as a Bible bookmark for easy reference.
Pastor Ron Laney, The Church of Joy, P.O. Box 465, Williamson, GA 30292 www.TheChurchofJoy.org
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How to Listen to a Sermon
Before the Bible was written down on paper, most of it was communicated through the spoken word. The spoken word has always been a practice of the community of faith. Here are some things that will help you absorb the written word as it is spoken to you.
Jesus said, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church."
1) Prioritize. Get plenty of rest before you are to hear the Word of God. Ex: a late Saturday night will usually hinder your comprehension of the Word given on Sunday morning. Make the hearing of God's Word the priority of your life. The Bible often connects spiritual growth to the hearing ear. Prioritize.
2) Hungry. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Develop a hunger for the Word, will and ways of God. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
3) Focus. Train your mind and senses to listen. The modern generation has had its mind trained by TV, video games, special effects and such. We must re-train our minds to think deeply, to focus, to listen.
4) Equip. Listen with this in mind - "I'm being equipped for the work of the ministry." What the Spirit is saying to you will be necessary somewhere down the road in your life and in someone else's.
5) Obedient. Have a desire to be obedient to the will and ways of God before you hear them. "Not my will but Your's be done" is our heart cry. Obey the Truth revealed to you. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep my commandments."
6) Worship. A good sermon should exalt Jesus Christ. After all, the Scriptures are about Him in some way or another. A good message doesn't just leave you with something to do. It should leave you with Someone to worship, the Lord Jesus Christ. Worship the Lord and exalt His name!
7) Pass It On. Share the inspirations and insights with someone. You can use the message notes to do daily devotions, lead a small group Bible study, or share with a friend. Copies of the audio CD are also available or you can access the message on the web - Current Teachings.
8) Green Pastures. God has promised to be our Shepherd and to lead us into green pastures (Psalm 23). So what are these green pastures? I believe one understanding of this should apply to messages given by your Pastor. God uses shepherds (Pastors) to lead His people. When your Pastor teaches a message or gets into a series of thoughts, view these as green pastures for you to graze in and eat. You’ll need this nourishment for the next part of the journey.
Note: Sermons are not meant to answer all of our questions. There is no way that any one message can cover a particular truth in its entirety. Jesus used sermons to provoke thought, convict the heart, and stir up hunger. He revealed Truth to us, but only the ones Who walked with Him understood. So when something doesn’t make sense, keep asking questions and seeking truth. Keep walking with Christ and understanding will come.
Remember: Remember Jesus’ teaching called, “The Parable of the Seed & the Sower” (Matthew 13:1-23). The dynamics of this teaching are always with us.
Pastor Ron Laney, The Church of Joy, P.O. Box 465, Williamson, GA 30292 www.TheChurchofJoy.org
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How to Disciple Someone - Ideas & Suggestions
Jesus called and commanded us to make disciples:
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
Teach Them These Things
Here are a few pointers on how you can be a part of this Great Co-Mission with Jesus:
1. Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Make sure the person is foundationed in the Gospel (Good News). There is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. Jesus is God in the flesh Who came to rescue us from sin and death. Salvation is not about a religious experience, it's about a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel can be summarized in this declaration: Jesus Christ is Lord! Lord over life, sin, death. When a person comes to Jesus Christ, they are born-again and they enter into the Kingdom of God. Scriptures: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Ephesians, 1 John. Specific Stories: The Death, Burial & Resurrection of Jesus found at the end of each Gospel; The Story of the Father and His Two Prodigal Sons (Luke 15); John 3 - The Conversation with Nicodemus; John 4 - The Conversation with the Woman at the Well. Growth Tracks #1 - 5 can help you better understand and share the Gospel. Pamphlet - Who is Jesus Christ?
2. Follow Me. Teach them that the Christian life is about following Jesus and making Him the Lord of their life. It's much more than just being rescued from Hell (although that's awesome). Jesus' invitation throughout the Gospels was for people to put their faith and trust in Him and follow Him - His way and His teachings. Jesus came to show us what it really means to live. His command in Matthew 28:20 is to "teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you." These things can be found in the Four Gospels - read, meditate upon, devour the words of Jesus - I call it "Read the Red." A great place to start is Matthew 5-7, The Sermon on the Mount. Remember, following Jesus is a lifetime commitment and daily pursuit. You cannot learn it all in one day, week or year. But you can grow and learn every day. Booklet - In Christ
3. Water Baptism. Jesus taught us not to be ashamed of our relationship with Him. In fact, we need to let everybody know that we are in relationship with Him. The Biblical way do this is through Water Baptism. Jesus commanded us to follow His example in Water Baptism. Water Baptism is a public statement that you are a follower of Jesus. It's an outward sign of the inward change that has happened in you. It illustrates our identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus - dying to self, buried in the water and brought up in the newness of life. Symbolically shows how God has forgiven our sins and cleansed us from our unrighteousness. Get with your Pastor and talk about your desire to baptized in water. Scriptures: Jesus' Water Baptism - Mattew 3:13-17, Luke 3:21-22; Romans 6:1-11; Acts 2:38-41, Acts 8:12-13, Acts 8:26-40, Acts 9:18, Acts 10:46-48, Acts 16:14-15, Acts 18:8, Acts 19:1-7. Pamplet - Water Baptism
4. Teach Them to Pray. Jesus came to reveal God to us and make a relationship with Him possible. Jesus taught us that God is more than our Creator, He is our Father. When we come into relationship with Christ, we can know and intimately relate to our Father. The basic way this relationship is built is through prayer. Prayer is not just a religious activity for the believer. It is a way of life. I say it like this - "We are not building a prayer life, but a life of prayer." God is with us at all times and wants to be a part of every facet of our lives. While we need blocks of time set aside in the morning and evening to pray, we can also talk with our Father at anytime, anywhere, about anything. Jesus taught us how to pray in "The Lord's Prayer", Matthew 6:5-13. This prayer is a great guide to help us build a strong relationship with our Father. Another tool to help us learn to pray is the Book of Psalms. It is a collection of prayer songs written by various people. The Psalms was the prayer book of Jesus. Teaching series that will help: The Jesus Way to Pray, Teach Us to Pray and Praying with the Psalms. Go to Current Teachings page and type title in search box. Be sure and download the Message Notes for each teaching and follow along as you listen.
5. Holy Spirit. When a person gets saved, they become the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live within us so that He would - teach us, guide us, convict us, assure us, empower us and make us more like Jesus. We cannot follow Jesus without the Holy Spirit. Believers should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This means to submit to the leadership of the Spirit and be under His influence. Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:8 that they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them and that they would be His witnesses to spread the Gospel throughout their city and the world. We are in desperate need to be clothed with this same kind of power. We have been called to be a Kingdom of Priests, a Holy Nation, the Body of Christ - and the Holy Spirit helps us in this. The Apostle Paul called this "walking in the Spirit" in Galatians 6. Enjoying and experiencing the life of the Spirit is one of the major joys of the believer. We should daily seek to be filled with the Spirit and cooperate with Him to carry out the mission Jesus gave us. Scriptures: John 14 -16, The Book of Acts, Galatians 5-6, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 5-8. Teachings series that will help: The New Humanity, Pentecost: The Giving of the Spirit, The Holy Spirit, The Baptism of the Spirit, The Fruit of the Spirit Baptism. Go to Current Teachings page and type title in search box. Be sure and download the Message Notes for each teaching and follow along as you listen. Pamphlet - The Holy Spirit
6. The Scriptures. Genesis to Revelation contains the inspired words of the Living God. The Bible is of utmost importance. It is a marvelous Story that reveals God to us. It shows us His character, His plan, His commands, His ways and His love for us. It frees us from our false gods, wrong ideas, misconceptions and idolatry. The Text needs to be a part of our daily lives. We also need to be under the teaching of those called by God to bring understanding and clarity to the truth revealed in the Bible. As we read, study and submit to the Scriptures, our minds are renewed, we grow in our relationship with God, we are established in truth and we become more like Jesus. We like to say it like this - Know the Text. Live the Text. Teach the Text. Pray the Text. Die the Text. Make sure the person has a good study Bible and a daily reading plan (see "Bible Reading Guides" above and "Choosing a Bible" below). PDF - Five Storylines of Scripture
7. Love Your Neighbor. The Christian life can be summarized in this - Loving God and loving your neighbor. For the believer, these two things are inseparable. The more we love God, the more we love other people. The more we love others, the more we are loving God. Who is our neighbor? It's anybody and everybody around us - especially those in need. Jesus taught the classic story of The Good Samaritan to help us with this (Luke 10:25-37). Serving others is the joy of the believer. Jesus taught us to love our neighbors the way we would want to be loved. In another place, Jesus taught us to love one another with the same kind of love that He has shown to us. Scriptures: The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 5:43-48; Matthew 22:34-40; John 13:1-17; John 13:34-35; John 15:9-17; 1 Corithians 13; Ephesians 5; 1 John 3-4. Teaching series that will help: Growth Track 07 - Forgiven and Forgiving; Growth Track 08 - Love Your Neighbor.
8. The Kingdom of God. When you are born-again, you become part of the Kingdom of God (John 3). The Kingdom of God (Kingdom of Heaven) was the main theme of Jesus' messages in the Gospels. Jesus Christ is King of this Kingdom. We are to give our allegiance and worship to Him. We are to pray that the Kingdom of God comes and that His will is done on the earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). We are to use our lives and energy to see that His Kingdom is witnessed and established on the earth in the hearts of people. Our blessed hope is that King Jesus will return to earth and establish His Kingdom in its fullness. When this happens, there will be no more sin, adversary, curse, death, sickness, pain, sorrow or chaos (Revelation 21). Jesus will rule with righteousness and peace and joy will be the inheritance of the people of God. There will be a new heaven and new earth. While we eagerly wait, we work - knowing that everything we do in our lives will somehow matter when Christ returns (1 Corinthians 15:58). Jesus taught us that His name is glorified and His Kingdom is experienced when we serve one another, love one another and care for one another (Matthew 25:31-46). We see the Kingdom displayed when someone is healed, a miracle takes place or a sign and wonder is done in the name of Jesus. While these are sovereign acts of God, they often seem to be connected with the believer's prayers and ministry. The signs and wonders Jesus performed while He was on earth gave witness to the Kingdom of God. Why should we expect anything less in our day? Scriptures: Matthew 4:17-25; Matthew 6:24-34; Matthew 12:22-28; Kingdom Parables - Matthew 13; Matthew 18; Matthew 20; Matthew 22; Matthew 25; John 3; 1 Corithians 15; Hebrew 11-12; Revelation 19-22
These are just a few of the important things every believer needs to be established in. Please see these pages for additional information:
Jesus
Current Teachings
Connect with Jesus
Connect with Joy
Love Your Neighbors
Articles
Beliefs, Mission & Vision
Spiritual Growth Tracks
Devos & Ideas
Worship Celebrations
Pastor Ron Laney, The Church of Joy, P.O. Box 465, Williamson, GA 30292 www.TheChurchofJoy.org
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Choosing a Bible
Ever go into a bookstore to purchase a Bible? Or go to a shop online to purchase one? It can be quite intimidating. You are confronted with all sorts of choices - the translation, the abbreviations, the style, the color. WOW! You can get so overwhelmed with it all. Here are some pointers to help you with your choice.
The Translation - What Version Should I Choose?
Here are some things to consider: Is it a paraphrase version of the Scriptures or a translation? Paraphrases are great for a second Bible, but your primary Bible should be a translation like the New King James Version or the English Standard Version. Is the translation established, will it be around for the next 30 years, and are there study resources for it? Think about it - if you're going to commit verses to memory, you want to do it in a version that is going to be around for awhile. If you are going to dig deeper, you need resources that are keyed to that translation.
I recommend and use the New King James Version of the Bible. It's very readable and trustworthy. Many others prefer the New International Version or the English Standard Version, and some like the language of the King James Version.
Get a Study Bible
Choose a good Study Bible for your primary Bible. They contain the words of Jesus in red, book introductions, cross-references, footnotes, index, concordance, dictionary, maps and commentary. A good Study Bible will help you understand the Scriptures. Be sure and read The Text and not just the study notes and commentary. The Text contains the words of God, while the others are the words of men. I recommend the Life Application Study Bible or the ESV Study Bible. These are full of great insights. Plan on spending $40-$60.
The Binding
The binding you choose will determine the price. You can get paperback, hardback, plastic, bonded leather and genuine leather. Go ahead and get the best one you can afford. The genuine or bonded leather is the best and should last the longest if you care for it properly. Be sure and get a Bible that will last you several years. As far as the color goes, you can just about choose whatever you like. I would stay away from the camouflage Bibles - you might lay it down and never find it again (ha, ha!).
A Reading Bible
You may want to get you a reading Bible. A reading Bible is one you can use when you just want to read The Words of God. For me, sometimes all the information and notes in a Study Bible can distract me from The Text. Choose one with a comfortable size print, the words of Jesus in red and the translation of your choice. If you don't get a reading Bible, just be sure you spend more time in the Text than you do the commentary.
A Parallel Bible
You may eventually want to add a parallel Bible to your library. This kind of Bible puts anywhere from 2-4 translations of the Bible side-by-side. You can read each of them at a glance. This can be very helpful to draw out the meaning of the original languages.
The Message
In my opinion, every believer needs a copy of The Message Bible. It's a paraphrase translation of the Bible by Eugene Peterson. You will find it easy to read and very insightful.
An Audio Bible
Get you an audio version of the Scriptures. You can get audio CDs or MP3s. The MP3s will be much cheaper. You can listen to the Bible while you are commuting to work, driving to town, exercising and such. You would be surprised how much you can cover and absorb in a 15-30 minute time frame. Putting something like this on a portable MP3 player can be very useful. It can also be helpful to sit down with your Bible and follow along as you listen.
Pastor Ron Laney, The Church of Joy, P.O. Box 465, Williamson, GA 30292 www.TheChurchofJoy.org
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