the notes are good – Page 5 – The Notes are Good

09.3 BSF Matthew Week 9, Day 3

My Daily Journal:

In each of the healings I was struck by the unconditional gift they embody. It wasn’t “let’s make a deal.” It was freely given.

There is so little in our actions with others that is unconditional. So much of what we do is deal making, “what’s in it for me?” WII-FM? quid pro quo.

But that is not the nature of the “feast”. It is not purchased by anything we do and actions we take to try to take credit for buying our way into the feast are an insult to the one who actually paid the price. It is an invitation that is open to all people, from the sun rise to the sun set, regardless of race or politics, origin or upbringing.

But when we are healed we are expected to act like one who has been healed. Peter’s mother-in-law got up. She did not languish. She did not continue to act as one who is sick. She got up and got to work.

Where do I need to get up and get to work? In what actions must I become unconditional?

My Answers:

6.
a.
Faith, care for others, authority, trust, recognition of power and authority

b.
Addressed as Lord, concern for servant, do not deserve to have you, “just say the word”

c.
Trusted in Him alone. Prayerfully asked for Him to take all things over.

7.
a.
All people, Gentiles: Mal 1:11, My name great from sun rise to sun set; Is 19:23 Egypt/Assyria worship together

b.
Eternal life

C.
The saved come seeking from far and near, but some “in the faith” have received their reward through their religiousness. Good people don’t go to heaven, saved people do.

8.
a.
It is His nature to heal – there was no request or plea, He just did it with a single touch

b.
got up and began to wait on Him

9.
a.
Is 53:4 took up infirmities and bore our diseases

b.
There was a cost of healing – a power that was released. But Jesus took on all human form and paid this cost freely, without discrimination and without recompense

c.
healing is unconditional. Jesus has absolute authority over any affliction (or anything else). He rewards faith

08.4 BSF Matthew Week 8, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

Hero Worship: It amazes me how people follow and worship other people. They have a NASCAR driver they follow. They can tell the stats of each player on their favorite team. They invest time watching and discussing singers and actors, turning them into American Idols.

But if these “heroes” do not stand for God, then they are tricks and lies. If they lead others into temptation, then they are counterfeit heroes. They are not the real deal. They are counterfeit. They are also not just misguided. If they oppose the one true God, seeking praise for themselves over God, then they are to be avoided. Deliver us from evil.

My Answers:

9.
a.
13-14: Narrow vs wide gate/broad road. Narrow to life, wide to destruction
15 False prophets (sheep/wolves) 16 (fruit: grape from thornbush, fig from thistles) 17-18 (tree bearing fruit)

b.
good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

10.
a.
Do not trust outward appearances, particularly in regard to teachers of faith. They may “look the part”, but they are a shell containing viciousness

b.
They are not “misguided” they are wicked. False teaching of the gospel and thus, opposing God, is ranked among worse offenses. They may have Reverend as a title but that does not mean they are to be revered. Christ had no issue calling the highest church leaders a brood of vipers.

c.
1. Beware – trickery abounds and what looks good and easy is seldom right
2. Make sure my life and ministry is bearing good fruit from the Spirit within me. Trust it and the Word of God alone, not my desire for what I want it to say instead. Guard my heart from evil and watch my words, they cannot be taken back.

08.2 BSF Matthew Week 8, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

7953227784_d71b2d2c8a — Flickr Creative Commons: stockmonkeys.com

1. Measure for Measure: This reminded me of the days of the gold rush. Miners would pan for gold and, hopefully, find nuggets. They would then bring these in to town where someone would purchase them., The price was based on weight and the purchaser of the nuggets owned the scale. It was often a simple balance and they used counter weights to determine the weight of an ounce of gold. If their counter weight was a bit heavy, say 1.5 ounce or 2 ounces instead of 1 ounce, then when they put the gold on the other end of the scale, they would get that much extra for the price they paid. But Jesus explains that this manipulation is all for nothing, because the same set of weights, the measure, they use for others will be the same set of weights used to evaluate their worth. In this situation the only thing that makes sense for fairness to abound is to use weights that are true and accurate. The only source of that measure that is true is the Word of God.

2. I just finished reading a book called Allegiant, and one of the lines in the book really stuck in my mind in regard to our lesson this week. “Everyone has some evil (sin/fault) inside of them and the first step to loving anyone else is to recognize the same evil (sin/fault) in ourselves, so we are able to forgive them.” We have spent 4 weeks on the Sermon on the Mount and it is easy sometimes to compartmentalize the lesson of three weeks ago and this week, but they are all the same sermon. In Matt 5, Jesus explained this principle in the extreme. You may not have murdered someone else, but have you been angry or thought of another as being a fool? If so, it is the same thing, the same sin, the same evil, with the same just punishment (the fires of hell 5:22). To minister, to love, to forgive another; we cannot do it from a position of superiority because that is a lie. You cannot speak truth and lie at the same time. It starts by seeing our own need for forgiveness.

3. Pearls to Swine: When thinking of unbelievers we often think of the Gospel as mad tasting medicine. They don’t want it but it is good for them and they really should take it. We know what is best for them. Take your medicine and be grateful. But, we forget or neglect the tremendous value and worth of the Word of God. It is not something to be pushed on other people. Would you force another against their will to take gold from you? Would you force them to eat from an amazing banquet of the finest food? Of course not. You would recognize that as ridiculous. You may invite them, offer, encourage, teach, prepare them for the gift, but if they don’t choose to take your gold, you wouldn’t force them. But how much more valuable and precious is the gift of the Holy Spirit than gold or silver. How much more nourishing is the Word of God than earthly food. When we treat it as bad tasting medicine, we dishonor its true worth and value.

My Answers:

3.
a.
To put yourself in the position of being over another person, particularly a fellow believer, for the purpose of demeaning or disparaging them. i.e., don’t have a “holier than thou” attitude

b.
same way judge others will be judged, measure for measure. Focus on the plank in your own eye over the speck of sawdust in another (judge yourself first and foremost and right the situation). Do not give dogs what is sacred, don’t throw pearls to swine

c.
forgive and you will be forgiven, give and it will be given to you (blessing of measure). Can the blind lead the blind, will they not both fall into a pit, Student is not above the teacher, but everyone fully trained will be like their teacher

4.
a.
Matt: brother or sister within the church, but as a brother/sister, a confidant, friend
Gal 1: Preachers (people or angels) – that they stay true to the word of God
Gal 6:Someone who has been caught in a sin. Also, yourself (test your own actions)
2 John: Deceivers, antichrist, false teachers

b.
Take the glaring sin out of your own life first ( hidden can be glaring). Point out their sin to them with compassion and nurturing. If ignore, join with 1-2 in the body privately to intervene, expand to church, remove from fellowship.

5.
Each of us is given our own free will and choice. No one can force or coerce another into accepting the gift of salvation or force them to truly repent. They must choose. If they fail to choose or choose the wrong path, leave them be (although you can continue to pray for them). “Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words.” Prov 23:9

07.5 BSF Matthew Week 7, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

“Each day has enough trouble of its own.” This line from Matt 6:34 made me laugh out loud because it is so true and so ridiculously shows my approach to life. I worry. I get stressed about the balls I’m dropping, the things I’m leaving undone. I worry about the things I have forgotten or not done fully.

But it is like looking at the calendar and going, “Oh, a week from Tuesday, hmmmm, it doesn’t look there is going to be enough trouble on that day… I should probably find something to worry about so I can add some much needed stress and trouble to that day.” I know, ridiculous, right? But that is what I’m doing when I worry. And, what does my worry gain – not a single positive thing. Lot’s of negative things (health, hair, happiness), but nothing positive.

The lessons over the past couple of weeks have been very convicting to me. Let me use an analogy to explain. My kids participate in the county fair and take a number of entries, particularly in the foods category. In the baked goods area there are basically two types of entries, decorated cakes and then things like breads and pies and cookies. Cake decorating is all about the outside appearance: icing, fondant, piping, decorating. When a loaf of bread comes in, however, one of the first things the judge does is to take a knife and cut it right down the middle. They are looking for consistency, doneness, texture, smell, etc. While I would prefer to be a decorated cake, in God’s judgment, I am a loaf of bread. The way I live and act among other believers at Church and BSF, how much I pray or listen to Christian radio, all of that is icing. The pharisees and hypocrites were masters at icing. We try to use icing to cover up flaws over here and redirect attention over there. But God slices right down the middle and his expectation is that my faith permeates my life consistently. If my interactions with co-workers or my family or difficult people (other drivers on the road) doesn’t reflect His mercy and bring honor to Him, then I have opportunity for improvement. The answer isn’t more icing. The answer is to continue to ask the Holy Spirit to permeate every minute of my day. When I hold back things from Him, when I continue to think I need to come up with the answer and/or do it on my own, I show that I don’t trust Him with that part of my life. That is a ridiculous thing to do. Am I not more valuable than a bird. Do I not have more worth to God than a flower in the field. Put righteousness first, not just at church and bsf, but in everything.

My Answers:

12.
a.
life, what you will eat or drink, about your body, what you will wear

b.
26: birds eat, you are more valuable, 28-30 clothing = flower, 31-33 eat, drink, wear – trust God and put righteousness first and all will be provided 25 is not life more than food, body more than clothes, 27 life: can worry add 1 more hour?

c.
All of them. Not so much for self but for loved ones.

07.4 BSF Matthew Week 7, Day 4

Today’s Scripture

My Daily Journal:

I wouldn’t call it a treasure, but it is definitely something people hold on to, sometimes even to the grave. Call it righteous indignation, personal justice, the need to get even, to get back, to set the record straight. It is ugly, but it is also very, very human.

I know “christians” who have said of a family member, “I will never forgive them. What they did was beyond forgiveness.” But Jesus teaches that our forgiveness is conditional. We are forgiven as we forgive. And if we do not forgive others, then we will not be forgiven. We may try to justify it and claim what they did was worse than what we do. But, I don’t see that covered in these words of our Lord. Either forgive or forfeit your own forgiveness. It is another of those “free choices” we get to make.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean condoning their behavior. It doesn’t even necessarily mean reconciliation. It simply means that we no longer hold their transgression against them and, I believe, pray that God turn them back to Him. This is hard.

It brings to mind the book, Amish Grace, How Forgiveness Transcends Tragedy. If you haven’t read it, here is the synopsis from Amazon:

On Monday morning, October 2, 2006, a gunman entered a one-room Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. In front of twenty-five horrified pupils, thirty-two-year-old Charles Roberts ordered the boys and the teacher to leave. After tying the legs of the ten remaining girls, Roberts prepared to shoot them execution style with an automatic rifle and four hundred rounds of ammunition that he brought for the task. The oldest hostage, a thirteen-year-old, begged Roberts to “shoot me first and let the little ones go.” Refusing her offer, he opened fire on all of them, killing five and leaving the others critically wounded. He then shot himself as police stormed the building. His motivation? “I’m angry at God for taking my little daughter,” he told the children before the massacre.

The story captured the attention of broadcast and print media in the United States and around the world. By Tuesday morning some fifty television crews had clogged the small village of Nickel Mines, staying for five days until the killer and the killed were buried. The blood was barely dry on the schoolhouse floor when Amish parents brought words of forgiveness to the family of the one who had slain their children.

The outside world was incredulous that such forgiveness could be offered so quickly for such a heinous crime. Of the hundreds of media queries that the authors received about the shooting, questions about forgiveness rose to the top. Forgiveness, in fact, eclipsed the tragic story, trumping the violence and arresting the world’s attention.

Within a week of the murders, Amish forgiveness was a central theme in more than 2,400 news stories around the world. The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, NBC Nightly News, CBS Morning News, Larry King Live, Fox News, Oprah, and dozens of other media outlets heralded the forgiving Amish. From the Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates) to Australian television, international media were opining on Amish forgiveness. Three weeks after the shooting, “Amish forgiveness” had appeared in 2,900 news stories worldwide and on 534,000 web sites.

Fresh from the funerals where they had buried their own children, grieving Amish families accounted for half of the seventy-five people who attended the killer’s burial. Roberts’ widow was deeply moved by their presence as Amish families greeted her and her three children. The forgiveness went beyond talk and graveside presence: the Amish also supported a fund for the shooter’s family.

This is the light and salt we are called to be as Christians. Impossibly difficult? Without God’s help it would be impossible.

My Answers:

9.
a.
money, possessions, friends, minions, praise, name…. None of these last past death. Time spent teaching is never lost. Time spent loving others in God’s name survives all.

b.
Honor of God, Disciples brought to Him and/or trained. Love invested in others for His sake. Light and Salt.

c.
Psalm:Law from your mouth is more precious that silver and gold
Luke:Do not store up riches for yourself on earth, but store up riches in heaven
1 Cor:God’s preparations are greater than anything we have experienced or can imagine
2 Cor:What is seen is temporary, what is unseen is eternal
Phil:On knowing Christ, everything else is as garbage
1 Pete:inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade

10.
a.
It is their addiction. What they put above everything else. Our “talents” are minutes on this earth, given to us to invest. Spending that time in meaningless self accumulation is not an investment

b.
I serve the Lord. I seek to reflect His light in all aspects of my life. I struggle and sin, but I put my trust in Him

c.
Fear. I know I need to trust in Him unyielding in all aspects of my life, but I fear I am missing something or letting something drop, not living up to expectations, not doing enough

11.
Sin so often begins with where our eyes go. Eve “saw that it was good”. What we allow our eyes to see is then in us. If we fill our senses with Godly things, then Godly things fill our life

07.3 BSF Matthew Week 7, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

I’m really feeling for the Teaching Leaders this week and their closing prayer. I’m guessing they will all be short and to the point with no “babbling”. 🙂

But with prayer and giving, I think we need to be careful not to get confused. The emphasis is not on secrecy, it is on honoring and glorifying God. Someone can give / donate secretively without it giving glory to God. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in the secrecy that lessons are missed. I think it is important for our children to learn the importance of tithing and to know their parents honor God that way. They is not to bring glory to the parents, it is an example that is set that is in accordance with the scriptures. I think it is also important that our children and spouses see us study the scriptures and pray.

I also don’t read this passage as an indictment against rote / memorized prayer. Praying the scriptures can be a very important and meaningful method of praying and one Jesus modeled and taught us to use. I don’t think chanting something makes it have magical powers. But I think relying on the comfort of scripture-based prayers, either spoken or in song, can be an important way of conversing with and honoring the Lord. David seemed to do a lot of this in the Psalms.

I also liked that the Luke passage was brought in. We are not supposed to beg in prayer, just like we don’t want our children to give us puppy dog eyes and says “please, please, please, please, please…” That is annoying and not honoring. But it is appropriate that every time a thought or need ways on our mind and heart we turn that over to God. If I am have fears or worries about something, I’m to trust God with that every time it comes into my consciousness. There is nothing wrong with persistence.

My Answers:

6.
a.
do not keep babbling like pagans, thinking they will be heard for their many words. God knows what you need before you ask Him.

b.
no babbling. Trust God and say what needs to be said, period. But pray each time it comes to mind/heart

c.
More trust and conversation, less begging and whining

7.
God you are holy and above all. I long for your rule over both heaven and earth. Fulfill my daily needs, forgive my transgressions but hold me accountable to honor you in my thoughts and actions. Protect me from temptation and evil and save me from sin

8.
a.
Prayer is a personal conversation with my Lord and King. I need to be honoring and respectful and trusting and humble. All is in His power and I need to trust all to Him.

b.
To be persistent but not begging. To trust Him, but to also clearly and repeatedly ask for His intervention

c.
I talk with God in quiet ways and turn to Him in obedience, but I don’t journal the way I should or set a time of disciplined daily prayer

07.2 BSF Matthew Week 7, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

Our instruction in the scriptures today reminded me of the Goofus and Gallant cartoons we would read in Highlight Magazine. The cartoons always featured two young boys with a choice to make and Goofus always made the wrong choice. The simple message was, don’t be a Goofus.

In this passage, Jesus is speaking to us in the same way. “You see the Hypocrites (Goofus)? Don’t do that!”

But the message goes one step further because there is also a “because” in the message. There is a reward. Let’s face it, we are all motivated by rewards. They can be sticks or carrots, i.e., avoidance of negative consequences or desire for receiving positive rewards. They can be extrinsic or intrinsic, but it is a simple part of being human. God doesn’t deny that for us, instead He provides it. Jesus doesn’t say not to be a Goofus just because He says so. But instead because we are going to miss out on the bigger reward.

There was a game show (I’m not remembering the name so someone might have to help me) where the contestants were allowed to pick between what was behind Door #1 and Door #2. Door #1 is the things we can see in this world. If we choose the rewards behind Door #1, we forfeit what is behind Door #2. You don’t get both. But here is the deal. With God as the host, Door #2, the unseen rewards in heaven, is always better. Always!

My Answers:

3.
a.
“When you”, “your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”
“do not… like hypocrites”

b.
they have received their reward in full – reminds me of Goofus and Gallant in Highlights

4.
a.
serve, give, help, but do so humbly and to the honor of God

b.
trust, patience, honor

5.
a.
better than thou attitude. Christian righteousness. Using religious symbols to further work (fish/cross)

b.
heavenly rewards. Good gifts of honor and recognition

c.
by accepting worldly recognition, they do so at the forfeiture of heavenly recognition. Door #1

d.
Do things for God’s glory and trust God to honor what honors Him. Focus on Righteousness

06.5 BSF Matthew Week 6, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

I don’t think Christians are called to be ignorant pansies that are constantly taken advantage of, bullied and abused. We are not called to be a doormat for others to simply wipe their feet on.

We are called to follow our mission. If we are following it fully, if we are truly committed to that mission then it and it alone is critical in everything we do and every decision we make. When you are a soldier in battle you don’t decide to ignore the mission because you don’t want to get your uniform dirty. When you are a surgeon with a patient on the table you don’t decide to operate of some other part because it is easier and quicker. You stick with the mission – it is what it is all about.

Our mission is simple. We heard it last week. Be salt and light to the world. Take the strength and word and light of God and use it to witness, heal, baptize and save. Period. That is the mission.

If walking a mile accomplishes that – walk the mile. If giving up a shirt accomplishes that, give up the shirt. But, in all of it, stay true to the mission. If giving someone your shirt does not bring them closer to God, then the mission is not to give shirts – it is to figure out what brings them closer to God.

One of my friends talked about an interaction with a homeless person this week at a coffee shop. The man asked my friend, “can you help me?” and he gave him a few dollars. But that weighed heavy on his heart. There is nothing wrong with giving the money, and God can use that, but what if he had, instead, invited the man to sit down with him and bought him food that they shared together. How much more could the investment of 10 minutes meant in the mission my brother carried?

I can get so focused on “what is rightfully mine” that I fall back into the trap of justice = revenge or getting even. But this is based on a mindset of finite resources. For me to get even I have to take it back from the person who wronged me. But I am the child of an infinite God and creator. There is so much more. God honors that which honors Him!

My Answers:

12.
a.
If your yes is yes and your no is no, then there is no “qualification” to speaking the truth, you just always do. There is no provision for falsehood

b.
“To be honest with you…” These words imply that at other times you are not honest or don’t mean it. Hard to tell when is when and what is what

c.
Know the truth and stick to it. No “white lies”.

13.
a.
Fear and Concern over being a doormat keeps me out of ministry opportunities and witnessing to others. I need to keep in mind what is truly important (bringing others to Christ). If being slapped or giving a shirt or walking a mile helps with that, then, by all means, that is what I should be doing

b.
God will honor that which honors Him.

14.
Gal: walk with the spirt not gratify the desires of the fleshEph: Put off old self and deceitful desires, new in attitude, righteousness and holiness like God
Phil: Obey, work out with God and allow Him to act in my to fulfill His good purpose
Phil: think about: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy

06.2 BSF Matthew, Week 6, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

In our discussion this week about moral law, ceremonial law and prophecies foretold I did some digging into the old testament prophecies and found these two great resources:

The first is a side by side list of over 350 old testament prophecies and the corresponding new testament references demonstrating Christ’s fulfillment: 351 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ

The second is a “school house rock” style video that demonstrates the probability of any of this just being “chance.”

In particular, today, I was struck by the question about the bible becoming living to me. When I mechanically do my study, I get the mechanics of the scriptures. I see the words. I see the do’s and don’ts and the blessings and the warnings. But that is all I see. However, when I pray first and really put my mind and spirit in a time of openness to God’s revelation, I experience God’s word in such a deeper way. For example, in Sunday School recently we discussed Isaac and the blessings to Jacob and Esau (Genesis 26). Through that study I was struck by the fact that Isaac didn’t just “take back” the blessing that Jacob received and it made me realize none of us can ever truly “take back” words that we speak. They carry forward with a life of their own. We can try to explain them, soften them, translate them, but once spoken we can’t unspeak them. Then, tie that Old Testament lesson to the New Testament lesson this week about knowing the old testament teachings and speaking the truth always.

It brought to mind a good steak. The old testament is the breed of the animal, the feed that went into it, the aging process, the marinade used, the perfect temperature of the flame, the hand of the experienced chef. Sure, with out any of that, the steak (new testament) could still be nourishment and something for me to chew on. But without the old testament I lose the flavor and the full experience that God intended.

My Answers:

3.
a.
Respect and honor. He did not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. They are to be practiced and taught.

b.
Through BSF and Sunday School teaching, my love of the old testament has grown in the past few years. I have too often viewed it as out-dated and difficult – as a rule book that doesn’t apply now.

c.
Begin with prayer. Ask for Jesus’ help through the Holy Spirit to open my eyes and heart to how these ancient words point to Jesus and how they apply to my life today.

d.
Study of Isaac’s blessing of Jacob and Esau – I am too casual with words, treating them like something I can take back or erase, but that isn’t the case. Once words are spoken they take on a life of their own and carry weight.

4.
a.
Heb 9:27 die once and then face judgment. Ephesians 2:9 Not by works, so that no one can boast. Luke 18:18-27 “you know the commandments…” and “then come follow me.”

b.
Heb 8:7-13 (quoting Jeremiah 31) Jesus is the new covenant, the old is obsolete. For Christ is the end of the law, that everyone who has faith may be justified” (Rom 10:4), Mark 12: 28-34 – Love God and Neighbor more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices

c.
In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Hebrews 1:1-2)
“Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me” (Psalm 40:7).
“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
“…all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Jesus Christ, Luke 24:44)

05.5 BSF Matthew Week 5, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

These 4 verses could be an entire lesson on their own. They have been the topic of many a sermon and we could go in lots of directions in discussing them.

We take them for granted today. Salt is so plentiful we use it by the truckload on our streets. Light is as easy as flipping a switch. But that has not always been the case. Salt was so difficult to mine and so important for food preservation that wars have been fought over it and soldiers were paid with it (our word salary comes from the word salt). Light was fire which required fuel.

But one of the critical elements is salt and light are simple concepts. This is direction for the common man. This is accessible to all of us. This isn’t a breast plate of jewels, an ephod or tassles. This is salt and light. This is stuff everyone uses every day.

And that is part of the message. This is for every day, not just days of special events or festivals. This is a daily walk, a daily meal, a daily task.

But it is also not only for us. In my lesson, I am using the illustration of a lighthouse. Picture you are a lighthouse operator. Shining your light attracts bugs (persecution) and it takes energy and effort to keep it burning. It is tempting to give it a rest – to turn it off every now and then. But you have no idea what ships at sea are seeing your light and navigating their path through your light. In the same way, we often don’t see or even know how our reflection of the gospel in our lives is influencing others. So, which day is the critical day to shine your light? Every single day!

If we are salt – how can we be salt in the world? How do we get out of the salt shaker? The important thing to keep in mind is that we are not called to do this on our own. We are just salt. But Christ is the Master Chef. It is by putting ourselves in His hands that we are used to perfection as a flavoring to the world. Not too much, not too little, just perfectly. It is by being at His command and use that we preserve and purify. When He reaches for the salt, we should be at hand and ready. We should be pure and not diluted. When He calls your name the correct response is “here I am.”

My Answers:

9.
a.
As a preservative, payment, purifier and flavor enhancer

b.
By staying pure and true to God’s calling. By not becoming diluted, but showing the good news of the gospel message in words and acts.

c.
Work with children through church in teaching about new bibles, Sunday School, passover/Easter teaching with kids, BSF

d.
It is the difference between being on the bench and being in the game. It is the difference of sitting in the dark and being in the hands of the master cook.

10.
a.
Light is life, it overcomes darkness, it lights a path, it is a warning, it shows the way home, it warms and comforts, it provides a necessary element to work

b.
Protecting eyes. Allowing light that is in us to shine to others (not hidden)

11.
transformation through submission. We are reshaped/remade into

12.
a.
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven

b.
To show me how I’m hiding the light He has given me and giving me the opportunity and courage to let it shine.