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Bible Study

John Bible Study, Day 30: We Are on the Winning Side

Today’s passage: John 16:16–33

Focus verse: “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

As Jesus continues his last instructions to his disciples, he talks of his departure, which his disciples will mourn, and the world will celebrate. But as a woman struggles through childbirth, and then rejoices over the birth of her baby, so too the disciples’ grief will turn into joy.

Jesus will see them again, which means they’ll see him again. No one will be able to steal their joy in Jesus. He continues to offer encouragement, mentioning answered prayer and Father God’s love for them.

The disciples start to understand. At last, they believe. This is a good thing because he has little time left to explain, so they better understand now.

He affirms their belief in him and warns they’ll soon scatter, each retreating to his own home. Though they will leave him, Jesus won’t be alone. His Father will stay.

Jesus says he’s telling them these things to give them peace. And even though the world will pile trouble upon them, “Don’t worry,” Jesus says, “I have overcome the world.”

Jesus wants them not to worry but to overflow with peace. By extension, he tells us the same.

Worry occurs when we look at our life from a human perspective. We see threats all around us, we feel the burden of living for Jesus in a world that is against him, and we combat an enemy set on causing us pain. These worries can weigh us down and rob us of our peace. 

Yet, through God’s perspective, we can see through fresh eyes. We know how the story ends. We know that Jesus, through his ultimate sacrifice, has forgiven our sins and defeated the evil one. He has overcome.

Though we may not realize the full release that his victory gives us now, we will experience it completely as we persist in following him and being his disciple. This should fill us with peace. 

Since Jesus has overcome the world, if we believe in him and follow him, we, too, can overcome our world through him. If we align with Jesus, we are on the winning side.

Questions:

  1. When has your grief turned into joy?
  2. What should you do to keep worry at bay and not be overwhelmed by it?
  3. How should knowing that Jesus overcame the world affect you and your actions?
  4. How can you experience peace through Jesus?
  5. Do you feel you’re on the winning side? If not, what should you do?

Discover what else John says about overcoming the world and the evil one in 1 John 2:13–14, 1 John 4:4, and 1 John 5:1–5. What insights can you glean from these passages?

Read the next lesson or start at the beginning of this study.

Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.


Read more in Peter’s new book, Living Water: 40 Reflections on Jesus’s Life and Love from the Gospel of John, available everywhere in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

God Rested

The Creator Rested on the Seventh Day—Maybe We Should Too

I’ve written a lot about taking a Sunday Sabbath. My goal is to treat it as a special day, one different from the other six days of my week. I’ve talked about my reasons for doing so, but I’ve seldom mentioned that the impetus for this comes from way back at creation.

After the Creator spent six days creating our reality, God rested on the seventh day.

The law in the Old Testament Scripture makes it clear about what God expected of his people on the last day of the week, the Sabbath. They are to keep it holy and rest (Exodus 20:8-11). That’s it.

They weren’t supposed to go to the temple, except for special celebrations. They were supposed to keep the Sabbath holy and rest.

Although Jesus followed this Sabbath rule (for the most part) he did tweak his practices a bit.

We often see Jesus healing people on the Sabbath, much to the religious leaders’ dismay. When questioned about this he said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).

While we could take this as permission to do whatever we want on our Sunday Sabbath, the context is doing good, in helping others. It wasn’t Jesus doing whatever he wanted. And we shouldn’t use this passage as justification for us to do whatever we want either.

Another time Jesus said he came to fulfill the Old Testament law and prophets (Matthew 5:17). Does this mean that God’s Old Testament command to keep the Sabbath day holy and not do any work no longer applies to us today?

Many people draw this conclusion. Though they aren’t entirely wrong in doing so, they aren’t entirely right either.

Notice Jesus didn’t say he’d fulfill all their Scriptures, only the parts containing the law and prophets.

The creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 predates God giving his law to Moses several centuries later. And it certainly precedes all the prophets. Jesus’s fulfillment doesn’t apply to the historic portions of Scripture, including Genesis.

After the Creator made people on the sixth day of creation, he proclaimed the seventh day as holy. And God rested (Genesis 2:2-3).

If God worked for six days and then rested on the seventh, we will do well to follow his example and rest one day each week, treating it as a holy, set-apart day.

We could do this on the last day of the week as God modeled for us, or we could do it on the first day of the week according to the Christian tradition.

When we do it isn’t important, but for me, it is important that we do. That’s why I treat my Sundays differently as a holy day of rest.

I do this because God rested, and so will I.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

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Visiting Churches

Our New Church Home: Discussion Questions

For 52 Churches, we took a year off and visited a different Christian church every Sunday. Then we returned to our home church. For More Than 52 Churches we interspersed our visits with regular attendance at our home base. 

Consider these five discussion questions about Our New Church Home.

1. Staying connected to our home church kept us anchored in spiritual community as we visited others.

What provides our spiritual anchor? If we don’t have one, where can we look for it?

2. Attending our home church required a fifteen-minute trip, driving past many other options that were more accessible and more inviting.

Why do we go to the church we do? Is it to meet our preferences or to advance God’s kingdom? 

3. For years, I’ve longed to go to church in my community, worshiping and serving with my neighbors and family.

How important is it for us to worship in our community with our neighbors?

4. After our first visit to Church #67, we returned the next week. We came back a third time, staying for their after-church meeting to learn more about their community.

How can we encourage first-time visitors to become regular attendees?

5. Soon going to this new church turned into a habit. It was a good habit to form.

Not all habits are beneficial, so how can we discern the difference? Do we have a habit we should break?

[Read about our new church home or start at the beginning of our journey.]

If you feel it’s time to move from the sidelines and get into the game, The More Than 52 Churches Workbook provides the plan to get you there.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Bible Insights

The Song of Miriam

Psalm 153 from Beyond Psalm 150

The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117. It weighs in at a mere two verses, serving as a reminder that our efforts to praise God need not be long or wordy. Sometimes succinct is better. Miriam’s song of praise to God, only one verse long, is a reminder that less can be more.

Miriam responds to Moses’s praise of God’s amazing rescue with a psalm of her own: The Song of Miriam. Moses’s older sister picks up her tambourine and leads the women in dancing before Yahweh. In doing so, this prophetess stands as the Bible’s first worship leader.

Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously.
He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.

Exodus 15:21 (WEB)

Reflections on The Song of Miriam

We should praise God to the best of our abilities and according to how he has equipped us. The quantity of our worship doesn’t matter, only that it comes from our heart.

Does our praise to God sometimes feel like it’s less than the efforts of others? Remember that none of us can fully praise God to the extent that he is worthy. Therefore, it’s foolish to compare our worship to that of others.

Without considering other people’s actions, what can we do today to praise God for who he is and what he has done? May our acts of worship focus on God, without giving thought to what others do or say.

Explore the other psalms—sacred songs of praise, petition, and lament—scattered throughout the Bible in Peter’s book Beyond Psalm 150.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Bible Insights

Do What Is Just and Right

Do God’s Instructions to the King of Judah Apply to Us Today?

It’s dark times indeed for God’s people. The prophet Jeremiah is his mouthpiece to speak truth. God sends Jeremiah to the king of Judah with a message. This message begins with some commands and ends with a promise for obeying and a threat for disobeying.

The Commands

Through Jeremiah, God tells the king to do what is just and right. Then he breaks it down. First, don’t wrong or hurt foreigners, orphans, and widows.

This isn’t the first time or the last that God shows his heart for foreigners, orphans, and widows. Perhaps the first mention is in Deuteronomy 10:18.

Later Paul testifies that his purpose is to bring God’s good news to his own people and to the Gentiles, that is non-Jews, which would be foreigners (Acts 26:23). And James tells us to look after orphans and widows (James 1:27).

Yes, foreigners, orphans, and widows are important to God, so they should be important to us too.

Second, God says don’t kill the innocent.

This command to not murder appears in the ten Commandments (Exodus 20:13). And Jesus models it with the woman caught in adultery when he releases her from a lawful execution, of her being stoned to death (John 8:10-12).

The Outcome

Then God gives the king a promise if he obeys, future kings will continue to rule—implicitly success. However, if the king disobeys, the palace will be razed—implicitly failure.

The right and proper treatment of foreigners, orphans, and widows must start with the king. When he models it, the people will follow. And if he fails to act, the people will follow his inaction.

Help Foreigners, Orphans, and Widows

We can easily extend God’s command to the king of Judah to us today, because we see these principles supported in the rest of Scripture. However, the promise for obedience and threat for disobedience, may or may not apply to us.

Regardless if there are rewards for obedience or punishments for disobedience, we will do well to help foreigners, orphans, and widows. This pleases God and allows us to bless others in his name.

[Read through the Bible this year. Today’s reading is Jeremiah 21-22, and today’s post is on Jeremiah 22:3-5.]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Bible Study

John Bible Study, Day 29: The Advocate

Today’s passage: John 16:6–15

Focus verse: “When he comes, he [the Advocate] will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8)

Jesus tells his disciples he will soon leave. This dismays them. But he says his departure is for their good. Unless he leaves, the Advocate can’t come. Why must Jesus go before the Advocate can arrive?

From a practical standpoint, maybe while Jesus is with them, they don’t need the Advocate’s help. Another thought is that the full release of the Advocate won’t occur until Jesus redeems humanity’s death sentence through his sacrificial death. Regardless, Jesus leaves, and the Advocate will appear.

Who is this Advocate? We mentioned him in Day 26, “Holy Spirit Power.” There we confirmed the Advocate is none other than the Holy Spirit of God, whom John calls the Spirit of truth. John 16:7 uses the name Advocate.

Other translations of the Bible provide other helpful labels. These include Comforter, Helper, Intercessor, Counselor, Companion, Strengthener, Paraclete, and Holy Ghost. These help us better grasp the work, range, and power of the Holy Spirit.

Not only is the Advocate for our benefit, but Jesus also says the Holy Spirit will speak to the world. He will convict them and reveal truth to them about sin, righteousness, and judgment. Jesus explains each of these three items.

First, the Advocate will show people their sinful nature. This is because they don’t believe in Jesus. Left on our own, we fall short of Father God’s perfect standard. But Jesus bridges that gap, providing a path to reconcile us with his Papa.

Next, the Advocate will instruct people about righteousness. This is the opposite of sin. For those convicted of wrongdoing, we want to do better. Left to our own strength, we may make progress in moving from sinful living toward right living, but we can only do so much.

Regardless of how hard we try, we’ll never live perfect lives and satisfy Old Testament expectations. Instead, we need Jesus to save us and the Advocate to guide us. This is the New Testament solution to the limits of the Old Testament, which can’t save us.

Third, the Advocate will address judgment. Just as the prince of the world, Satan, stands condemned, so too are those who don’t place their trust in Jesus to save them from the sentence they have earned through their less-than-perfect behavior.

Our wrong actions (sin) prods us to repent, which then moves us toward holy living (righteousness). In doing so, the condemnation we deserve turns into the salvation that we can’t earn.

Our rescue only comes from trusting in Jesus. And the Advocate—God’s Holy Spirit—will guide us into that.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit.

Questions:

  1. What does sin mean to you? 
  2. What does righteousness mean to you?
  3. How do you reconcile sin with righteousness?
  4. What does judgment mean to you? 
  5. How does the Advocate influence who you are and what you do?

Discover more about judgment in Romans 2:1–10. Read about sin and righteousness in Romans 3:21–26 and Romans 6. What insights can you glean from these passages?

Read the next lesson or start at the beginning of this study.

Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.


Read more in Peter’s new book, Living Water: 40 Reflections on Jesus’s Life and Love from the Gospel of John, available everywhere in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Christian Living

Do You Need to Unplug?

To Hear from God, We Must Be Ready to Listen

Advice that’s commonly given to writers is that we need to unplug from time to time to fuel our writing and feed our creativity. When we remove the distractions of our technology is when inspiration strikes. It’s when we solve writing problems and are best able to move forward with our words.

Unplug to Hear God

The same is true—even more so—with our faith. We need to unplug and have idle time—that is, available time—for us to best hear from God.

Yes, his voice can overpower anything and everything that surrounds us, but it’s much easier for us to hear when his message doesn’t have to compete with the barrage of information that we surround ourselves with and assaults us on a continuous basis.

Multitasking Divides Our Attention

I see too many people with their smartphones open when there’s no need for it. They’re engaged with their technology and miss much of the life happening around them. Though they think they can do both, they’re deluding themselves.

We can’t truly multitask. Though we can do one subconscious activity along with one conscious activity, we can’t fully do two conscious activities at the same time. One will always suffer, perhaps both.

Trying to multitask between a device and people disrespects others.

The same is true—with even more significant consequences—when we try to multitask our time with God. We can’t be fully present with him when we’re partially engaged with our technology.

To be with God we need to unplug.

Remove Distractions

But it’s not just our technology that contends with our time with God. Yes, the place to start is to put away our smartphones, turn off the television, and walk away from our computers. Yet, our busyness can also keep us from God.

When we pack every moment of our life with intention, we effectively remove God from our schedule—from our life. True, he can interrupt our plans to interject his own, but how open are we to do this? And how do we react when he tries to get our attention?

Though we need to be careful not to take this too far, sometimes we should unplug from life. This doesn’t mean to isolate ourselves or forgo social interaction, but it does mean that sometimes we need to be quiet to listen for God’s still and small voice.

Open Our Ears

The sons of Korah write that the Almighty says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, NIV). We start this when we unplug, stop multitasking, and remove distractions from our lives.

Then we can open our ears and hear what God wants to tell us. We can be in his presence. We can bask in his glory. And then we’ll have the best chance to hear what God has to say.

When people complain that they don’t hear from God, I wonder how hard they’re trying. If they unplug and be in a posture to receive, they’ll have a much better chance.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Visiting Churches

Our New Church Home

For 52 Churches, we took a year off and visited a different Christian church every Sunday. When the year wrapped up, we returned to our home church.

More Than 52 Churches: The Journey Continues

This time it’s different. Throughout More Than 52 Churches, we interspersed our church visits with regular attendance at our home church.

This provided a balance, a stability to keep us anchored in church community, as we visited others.

Attending our home church required a fifteen-minute trip to get there, going past many other options that were more accessible and more inviting.

For much of my life, I couldn’t figure out why we drove past other churches to go to our church of choice. Yet we never went to the closest one.

Since each Christian church worships the same God, follows the same Savior, and reads the same Bible, it shouldn’t really matter which one we go to. Yes, this is theoretical. I do understand why most people don’t go to the closest church.

For years, I’ve longed to go to church in my community, worshiping and serving with my neighbors and family.

Now we do.

It’s Church #67, the “Satellite Church.”

After our initial visit, we returned the following week, and came back the week after that, staying for their after-church meeting to learn more about their community.

Soon going there turned into a habit, and we got involved. This may explain in part why the allure of visiting other churches grew dim.

This church is within walking distance of our house, three-quarters of a mile away. (For full disclosure, this is the second-closest church. There’s one a tad nearer. We visited it, but one of us didn’t care for it.)

We now know that several of our neighbors attend our church, as well as two of our children and grandchildren. Weather permitting, I walk to church each Sunday. Candy drives.

This way we can leave church together and head for lunch with family.

It’s all good.

It’s our new church home.

Read the prior post in this series, the next post on How to Be an Engaging Church, or start at the beginning of our journey.

Get your copy of More Than 52 Churches today, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Christian Living

The Song of Moses

Psalm 152 from Beyond Psalm 150

Psalm 90 is the oldest chapter in the book of Psalms. Moses wrote it. Though it’s his only entry in the Psalms, Moses penned other songs as well, but we need to search for them.

We encounter one in the book of Exodus, we’ll call it the song of Moses. Though we don’t know when in his life Moses wrote Psalm 90, this passage in Exodus likely came first.

Moses and the people have just left Egypt and head toward the promised land. Blocked by an uncrossable sea before them and chased by the pursuing Egyptian army behind them, they have no path for escape. Death is certain.

Yet God miraculously rescues them. He divides the sea so that his people can cross the space before them on dry land and reach the other side. When the Egyptian army follows them across, the waters crash upon them, and they perish.

God saves his people from certain death, and Moses writes this psalm—song of Moses—in praise to Yahweh.

I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously.
    He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.
Yah is my strength and song.
    He has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise him;
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Yahweh is a man of war.
    Yahweh is his name.
He has cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea.
    His chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.
The deeps cover them.
    They went down into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, Yahweh, is glorious in power.
    Your right hand, Yahweh, dashes the enemy in pieces.
In the greatness of your excellency, you overthrow those who rise up against you.
    You send out your wrath. It consumes them as stubble.
With the blast of your nostrils, the waters were piled up.
    The floods stood upright as a heap.
    The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the plunder.
    My desire will be satisfied on them.
    I will draw my sword. My hand will destroy them.’
You blew with your wind.
    The sea covered them.
    They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods?
    Who is like you, glorious in holiness,
    fearful in praises, doing wonders?
You stretched out your right hand.
    The earth swallowed them.
“You, in your loving kindness, have led the people that you have redeemed.
    You have guided them in your strength to your holy habitation.
The peoples have heard.
    They tremble.
    Pangs have taken hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed.
    Trembling takes hold of the mighty men of Moab.
    All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
Terror and dread falls on them.
    By the greatness of your arm they are as still as a stone,
    until your people pass over, Yahweh,
    until the people you have purchased pass over.
You will bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance,
    the place, Yahweh, which you have made for yourself to dwell in;
    the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established.
Yahweh will reign forever and ever.”

Exodus 15:1–18 (WEB)

Reflections on the Song of Moses

Think about a time when God miraculously protected you from danger or harm. This moment may have been epic or perhaps it felt small, but either way your life took a different path as a result.

Did you praise God for his deliverance then? Take a moment and do so now—or do it again.

May we revere Yahweh as he works in our lives.

Explore the other psalms—sacred songs of praise, petition, and lament—scattered throughout the Bible in Peter’s book Beyond Psalm 150.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Bible Insights

Avoiding the Risk of Complacency

The Bible Addresses Complacency

Complacency. The word complacent means to be “pleased or satisfied” or especially, to be “extremely self-satisfied.”

This seems to describe many people that I know. They are complacent, perhaps not materially, but certainly spiritually. They are content to sit back, with no concern for their non-material well-being and little remorse for a lifestyle that is less than optimum.

These people have a spiritual complacency. They believe they’ll go to heaven when they die, and that’s good enough for them.

God doesn’t like spiritually complacent people.

Zephaniah Speaks against Complacency

Through the prophet Zephaniah, God says he will search out the complacent people and punish them. They are even complacent about his response to their complacency, for God specifically says that they assume he will do nothing to them, neither good nor bad.

They are truly complacent and God is ticked off.

Complacent People in Laodicea

Another group of people who suffer from a complacent attitude is the church in the city of Laodicea. They are neither hot or cold. To them, God simply says he will spit them out (Revelation 3:14-16).

What an apt image of disgust—and for one who wants to be close to God, what a frightening picture of separation and aloneness.

I hope that God never finds me complacent—the consequences are too great.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Zephaniah 1-3 and today’s post is on Zephaniah 1:12.]

Learn more about all twelve of the Bible’s Minor Prophets in Peter’s book, Return to Me: 40 Prophetic Teachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope from the Minor Prophets

Read more in Peter’s devotional Bible study, A New Heaven and a New Earth: 40 Practical Insights from John’s Book of Revelation.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.