 Date: June 6th
Speaker: RJ Dugone Text: 1 Peter 1:13-19; 22-25 NASB95 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [14] As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, [15] but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; [16] because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” [17] If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; [18] knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, [19] but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. [22] Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, [23] for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. [24] For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, [25] BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was preached to you. Questions to Consider:
Expanded Scriptures to Consider:
The reformation came to be known as the protestant movement as new churches and denominations were formed in protest against the perceived corruption found in Catholicism at that time. There was a Latin slogan that served as the rallying cry of the reformers. Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum, which translates as “the Word of the Lord remains forever." This Latin slogan still rings true today. According to the Apostle Peter, "You have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring Word of God." Peter goes on to declare that "the Word of the Lord endures forever!"
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May 30th
Speaker: RJ Dugone Text: Mark 3:31-35 31 Then His mother and His brothers *arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. 32 A crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You." 33 Answering them, He *said, "Who are My mother and My brothers?" 34 Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! 35 "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother." Big Idea: Is it true that blood is thicker than water? (Which means that most people have a higher level of commitment to their blood relatives than they do to anyone else) Should this be true in the context of the church? One could make a Biblical case that a Believers first loyalty in life should be to God, and secondly to their family in Christ. There is no doubt that "we" are called to love everyone; but when it comes to doing good, we start with the household of faith. Questions to Consider:
Parallel Passages:
Theology/Apologetics: When I was the pastor in a region of the country that was dominated by one of the world's most powerful Christian Cult Groups, ("Christian" in the sense that they self-identify themselves as being followers of Christ), it was challenging to anyone who was converted out of that cult to leave said cult and declare their faith in Christ. As one young man explained to me: "I have come to see the errors in the theology of the "cult group" and no longer believe in what they teach; but to openly walk away and embrace Christ as taught in the Bible would cost me everything. I would lose my job, my wife, my family, my community and everything that I care about." That is the cost one must be willing to pay if that is what it takes to follow Christ. The cross that you pick up in your pursuit of Christ may look different than someone else's cross. Each of us have a personal price that we must be willing to pay in order to follow Christ. Important Note: This must not be equated to paying the price for your salvation; Jesus, already paid that price. However, in the words of Jesus, to be His disciples we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him. Questions to Consider:
June 6th
Speaker: RJ Dugone Text: 2 Timothy 1:6-12 For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. [7] For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. [8] Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, [9] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, [10] but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, [11] for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. [12] For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Salient Points from Text:
Related Passages of Scripture: May 23rd
Speaker: Michael Dugone Text: Mark 3:20-30 20 And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. 21 When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” 22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23 And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but [l]he is finished! 27 But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. 28 “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” big idea: Jesus has declared war on an established kingdom. He is healing the sick, bringing new authority and teachings, forgiving sins, breaking the oral tradition, "working" on the sabbath, overcoming temptation, and opposing the Jewish/religious leaders of his time. However, it is not the kingdom of Israel or the Jewish religion that is under attack but the Kingdom of Darkness. Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 that "He has not come to abolish the law and prophets but to fulfill them," but He says no such thing about the realm of Satan. In fact, He is in open opposition and has begun to attack this kingdom. It started in the desert when Jesus resisted the devil's temptations and continues as we see Jesus exert his power and authority over the demon possessed. In this passage we see Jesus’ power and authority come into question by two different groups in two different ways. It reminds me of a C.S. Lewis quote from Mere Christianity, “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” This is exactly what we see play out in the passage and Jesus leaves the Pharisees with a very stern warning about the road they are headed down. Questions to consider:
parallel passage: Mark 12 1And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a [a]wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to [b]vine-growers and went on a journey. 2 At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. Matthew 12: 22-32 22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to [v]Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by [w]Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” 25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “[x]Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and [y]any city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he [z]is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I by [aa]Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.30 He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.31 “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 Whoever [ab]speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever [ac]speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Theology/apologetics:
May 16th
Speaker: Travis Cunningham Text: Mark 3:13-19 13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out the demons. 16 And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17 and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, "Sons of Thunder"); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. Big idea: Jesus had many people who followed Him throughout His earthly ministry. In fact, in Acts 1 when the first disciples had gathered in the upper room before the day of Pentecost had fully come, it mentions 11 disciples by name, but there were about 120 actually gathered together. But Jesus primarily had 12 disciples that walked closely with Him and that are consistently referenced throughout His ministry and in scripture even though many others were true disciples and followers of Christ. Jesus gives these twelve disciples three appointments or assignments in verses 14-15. These three assignments are important for us to understand and walk in today. 1.) That they would be with Him 2.) That they would go out and preach 3.) That they would have authority to cast out demons Cross References: Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:1-11 Theology & Apologetics: Preaching and casting out of demons went hand in hand in the ministry of Jesus and with the ministry of the first disciples. Preaching is an act of authority where we declare something with our voice. When we do so there will be opposition that will arise from either people or from demonic entities. This is true with anything that is done authoritatively. In our time of Covid, if you declare with authority that masks don't work or that masks are necessary and vital; either one of those claims will get some sort of pushback. Notice that Jesus puts being with Him before preaching and casting out of demons. This is the key to the Christian life. Being with Christ, Christ being our life. Secondly, the preaching of the gospel is ahead of the casting out of demons. This is intentional because the preaching of the gospel is what is necessary for salvation; casting out of demons is not always needed and can be done without the person ever coming to faith in Christ. People come to faith through hearing the word of God and allowing the seed of the gospel to grow. But there are times when demonic powers are at work preventing that seed from taking root and they must be dealt with. We as believers that are abiding in and with Christ and walking in obedience to His command to make disciples of every nation, also have authority over demonic spirits that show forth themselves. Questions to consider: Have you ever experienced a demon being cast out? Has God you ever used you to cast a demon out of someone? What does the phrase "being with Jesus" mean to you? What does that look like in your life? Do you find joy being with Jesus and spending time with him? Why or why not? May 9th
Speaker: David Fritz Text: Mark 3:1-6 1 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 He *said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" 4 And He *said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. 5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. Scripture: Hebrews 12:3 - For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Titus 2:7-8 - 7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. Matthew 5:10-12 - 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. John 16:33 - These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Ephesians 6: 10-13 - 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against [e]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ESV Commentary: Mark 1:16–8:26 Demonstration of Jesus’ Authority. The first half of Mark’s Gospel is dedicated to the demonstration of Jesus’ authority over sickness, laws of nature, and the demonic world. He also calls, appoints, and sends out his disciples while regularly teaching in a unique and authoritative way. Mark 1:16–3:12 Jesus’ Early Galilean Ministry. The call of the disciples is intertwined with narrative descriptions of Jesus’ authority over demons and sickness, as well as with authoritative teaching (see note on Matt. 4:12–25). Mark 3:2 The scribes believe that healing is a form of work and is thus not permitted on a Sabbath. Accuse (Gk. katēgoreō, “accuse, bring charges”) is a technical term: they seek to mount a legal case against Jesus by collecting evidence against him. Mark 3:3–5 Jesus is not intimidated by his opponents; he makes the Sabbath healing (cf. v. 2) an intentionally public incident. they were silent. The silence of the opponents displays their hardness of heart, and Jesus’ anger shows that his question, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm … ?” should have been answered: “to do good.” This would not violate the OT law, but it would violate the opponents’ extrabiblical, mostly Pharisaic tradition. Their tradition misses the point of the Mosaic law: to love God and one’s neighbor (cf. 12:29–31). Stretch out your hand. See note on Luke 6:10. Mark 3:6 The Pharisees were quite different from the Herodians (supporters and associates of Herod Antipas of Galilee and the Herodian family dynasty; see note on Matt. 22:16). However, these two groups held counsel together (cf. Ps. 2:2) in order to destroy their common enemy, Jesus (Mark 14:1–2). May 2nd
Speaker: RJ Dugone Text: Mark 3:7-12 7 Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9 And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10 for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, "You are the Son of God!" 12 And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.
A description of Jesus' Humility: Philippians 2:1-8. Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude [e]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. Theology/Apologetics: People gathered around Jesus close enough to touch Him. Obviously, from the example of the woman with the issue of blood, it was thought and true, that if a person could touch Jesus, they could access healing power. Later, in the Book of Acts, people were healed by simply being in the shadow of an Apostle. What is the conclusion of such a demonstration? That the power of God was manifested in and through the lives and ministry of Jesus and His disciples. The question is this? How does God want to work through the lives and ministry of the Church today? That leads us back to the question of how do we interpret Jesus' promise that "we" would do the same things that He did and greater things? April 25th
Speaker: RJ Dugone Text: Mark 2:23-28 23 And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”
April 18th
Speaker: RJ Dugone Text: Mark 2:18-21 18 John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “While the groom is with them, the attendants of the groom cannot fast, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast, on that day. 21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
The Big Idea: Change is difficult. Traditions are hard habits to break. Putting new wine in an old wineskin puts the new wine at risk of being spilled, and it risks destroying the old wineskin as well. This is why change in the church, whether a change in style or tradition, needs to be carefully and prayerfully considered. If a change is warranted, it must also be undertaken with a good deal of prayer and consideration.
Matthew 9:14-17 Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” Luke 5:33-39. And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.” And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Theology and Apologetics: When we sing songs such as "New Wine." New Wine is talked about in the context of the "new" things that God is doing in a Believer's life. This is appropriate in the sense that God, through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, is always doing a continuing work in our lives. In terms of what Jesus was talking about in His answer to the Pharisees and John the Baptist's disciples, Jesus is probably referring to the new covenant of grace that is going to be ushered in by His atoning work on the cross. Tragically, the Pharisees rejected the new wine (new covenant) and in a sense, the new wine burst the old wineskin. Is it possible to correctly use the new wine metaphor when considering the "new" things that the Holy Spirit is doing in and through the church today? I think that the analogy can be used in a generic sense, but we need to understand the context that helps define Jesus' original point. Roy Brewer: Spiritual Emphasis Week, April 11-15.
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