The Joy of Children

Part of my job and calling at Oakhill is to be the Children’s Pastor.  I love this part of the job because I love kids! Kids are so much fun!  From squishy babies to precocious toddlers to funny older children, they are all a marvel of God.  I love to see them learn and grow, especially in the context of growing in the Lord. This is a special blessing of being involved in the children’s ministry.  I am positive the other volunteers at Oakhill feel the same way.

I am thankful that at Oakhill we love children. Our love is modeled after the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful that the gospel writers inspired by the Holy Spirit included the story about Jesus interacting with children in Mark 10:13-16:

“And [Parents] were bringing children to [Jesus] that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”

At this time in Jesus’ ministry, He was ministering to a great many people.  I can imagine a long line of people waiting to speak to Jesus.  This group of parents, knowing that their children were a most precious gift, brought them to Jesus to be blessed.  The disciples saw this as a waste of Jesus’ time.  They probably thought, “look at all these people that need Jesus’ help, these children are just taking up his time”.  As I said I’m thankful we get this glimpse into our Lord’s thinking about children. He rebuked His disciples and pulled the children in close.  We get the picture that Jesus might have put them in His lap as He blessed them.  This shows us that our Savior loved children!

First, he knew that these were potential future followers.  If these parents believed in Jesus and taught their children to do the same, then these children would be the future for the church.  He wanted them to feel welcome in His church. Second, Jesus wants us all to approach Him with childlike faith.  This type of faith doesn’t mean immature or devoid of theological thinking. It means that we have simplicity in our faith.  We need to trust Jesus like a child trusts a parent. Children with loving parents don’t have to wonder if their parents will take care of their needs. They know their parents are going to protect them. They just simply trust, it’s almost thoughtless, like a reflex.  We need to have the automatic reflex of faith in every stage of life. 

I am sure that this experience with Jesus left an indelible mark on the children He blessed.  I hope that many of them followed Jesus and learned to obey all that He taught.  Children are a great example of how we need to live in awe and wonder of our Savior.  As children grow in faith, they are like little sponges that are constantly amazed by all they are learning.  I pray we can all retain this attitude into adulthood.  We should continue to approach Jesus daily with awe and wonder. 

If we want to honor our Savior, then we will be like Him and make room for children in the church.  We will seek to love and disciple them. Most of all we will bring them to Jesus. We will share the good news of the gospel.  We will be living examples of the gospel to the children.  I’m thankful that Oakhill is a church like this!

What is the Purpose of Biblical Knowledge?

James calls Christians to not just be hearers of God’s Word but doers also.  In James 1:19-26 he challenges followers of Jesus to live in obedience to God’s Word.  This seems like it would be so obvious that we do not need to be reminded about it; however, many Christians either do not live according to the Bible or they seek to soak up Bible knowledge and never apply it to their lives. 

This reminds me of the college experience.  Students attending college can look at their time in college in one of two ways. They can see their time as a temporary stop so they can acquire knowledge that can then be applied to a future job.  Or they can look at it as an opportunity to learn and continue to learn, simply filling their head with knowledge they will never use in a practical sense.  In my opinion, the goal of college should be to take your skills and knowledge and apply them to a job so you can contribute to society. The same idea applies to being a follower of Jesus.

If we simply are in a relationship with God so we can learn and increase our knowledge, we are missing out on so much. Our job is not to sit and soak as spiritual sponges.  We are to learn so we can apply the truth to our lives.  Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 5:19, “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”Notice this verse has a negative and positive statement with punishment or reward attached to them.  The second statement is the positive statement which encourages believers to not only know the commands of the Bible but to obey them.  The emphasis is on obedience and teaching others to do likewise. That is the highest goal for believers in the kingdom of God.

This is similar to what Jesus said in the Great Commission before He ascended into heaven. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Notice that the Great Commission is telling us to make disciples.  Which means our goal is to multiply followers of Jesus.  The way we do that is to teach the disciples but not just to fill their heads with Bible knowledge, rather we are teaching them to obey the commands.  Again, the emphasis is on obeying God’s Word.

If we truly want to do what Jesus has commanded us to do, we must seek to live out the commands of God in our lives.  Robby Gallaty in his book Replicate says, “Our goal is not just to read [the Bible] for information.  We should read the Bible for greater intimacy with God.  God is not going to quiz us in heaven on how many Bible facts we know…Discipleship is not, contrary to what some people think, about learning the Bible.  It is about applying what we learn in the Bible to our lives.  Our learning should lead to action.”  We must be people that are known for our love of God’s Word, which means we must learn it.  The question is never should I read and study God’s Word, the answer to that question is a resounding, “YES!”  The question should be what do we do with what we are learning?

First, we must apply it to our own lives.  This means that we seek to live according to God’s Word no matter what it says.  If we find that our lives are opposed to God’s Word at any point, we must submit and shape our lives accordingly.  Second, we must seek to teach others. This means we are making disciples by helping others to know and live out the Bible.  This does not mean everyone will be a Bible teacher or preacher, but everyone can teach someone else the truths of the Bible in a discipleship relationship.  

One of the saddest verses in the Bible is Hebrews 5:12, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,” The author of Hebrews was speaking to seasoned Christians; however, they were not mature in the faith because they were not living out the truth. They needed it taught to them again and again when they should have been teaching others. I pray that you will hear the encouragement from the Bible and seek to obey it in your life. There is no higher calling for the Christian than to live by God’s Word and teach others to do the same.

3 Ways to Help Your Child Engage with God’s Word

The newest sermon series by Pastor Alan is on Psalm 119. I love Psalm 119 because it is all about God’s Word.  In his sermon on April 16th entitled “Answer the Question,” he referenced a Lifeway research study.  This study was groundbreaking research on something we probably should have already known.  The study confirmed that the most important spiritual influencer in a child’s life is God’s Word.  The resource is called Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith.  In this book that was developed from the research they say, “The greatest contribution to raising fully devoted, Christ-following young adults is regular, not daily or religiously, just regular Bible reading.”  Another way to say this is that children that are exposed to regular Bible reading will have a greater chance of sticking to their faith as they go into adulthood.

This is very important considering we have many Christian families that do not expose their children to the Word of God on a regular basis. This is crazy since 89% of households own a Bible and the average number of Bibles per home is 4.1.  Even with all these Bibles only 19% of Protestant church goers read the Bible daily. It seems we have an epidemic in the church.  The great news is this problem can be solved very easily.  We simply need to open God’s Word and read it!  You can take simple steps that will help both you and your children in walking with the Lord.

1. Daily Devotion
As a Christian adult, you should already have a daily devotion.  This is a set aside time every day where you can spend a few minutes reflecting on God’s Word and praying.  Feel free to use a devotion book or a digital devotional plan; there are some great ones on the YouVersion Bible app.  I like to switch up my devotional sources periodically, so it doesn’t grow stale.  Your children should also have a devotional time.  When they are little, you should read to them from a children’s Bible like the Jesus Storybook
Bible.  When they are older you need to continue to encourage them to have their own devotional time.  I love the Foundations devotional book by Robby and Kandi Gallaty.  If you build a daily devotional pattern in their life when they are young, it will stick with them as they grow up.

2. Scripture Memory
Adults and children alike need to memorize scripture.  This is the most underrated spiritual discipline.  It will help you build a strong foundation of faith and fight temptation.  Children have a hard time keeping the faith as they grow older because they don’t know God’s Word.  When you memorize scripture, it becomes ingrained in your heart.  You can’t help but meditate on it and learn its truth as you commit it to memory.  If there is one thing I would say that has given me the most spiritual growth in my life, it is scripture memory.  I recommend a Bible memorization app like VerseLocker or Fighter Verses.  These apps will help you in your scripture memory journey.

3. Prioritize the Word of God
The last way to help your children know God’s Word is to prioritize it in your life.  That means that you prioritize time spent in the Word but also you prioritize living the truth in your life.  It is important to take the commands and promises of God found in His Word literally.  We need to strive to live in holiness and fight temptation with everything we’ve got.  Our children know by our actions if we truly believe God’s Word.  We should be an example to them of someone that seeks to live out the truths of scripture.  We will not do this perfectly, but this too can be an example of Christian living.  You can show what repentance and forgiveness looks like by being appropriately honest about your sin.  In all ways you can show your children that you love God’s Word by how you live.  The hope is they see it in you and want the same thing for their lives.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:9-11 

For more on this subject, check out the Families for Life Podcasts Episode #4 from June 8, 2020

The Pattern of Prayer

If you study the patterns of Jesus’ life you will notice one thing.  He spent a significant amount of time in prayer.  The Bible records several instances when Jesus went away by himself (Matt. 14:23, Luke 5:16, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:46).  This was a normal pattern for him.  Why would Jesus, of all people, need to spend a lot of time in prayer?  Maybe he understood something about the power of prayer that we just don’t get?  

In Luke 22:39-46 Jesus takes his disciples to the Mount of Olives to pray. Verse 39 tells us that this was his usual custom.  This meant that Jesus regularly went to the garden to pray.  This fact was so known to his disciples that Judas is able to easily find Jesus when he betrays him.  How many times did Jesus go to the garden to pour out his heart to his Father? This time Jesus is grieved beyond what any of us can comprehend.  He knows that he will suffer greatly and die for the sins of mankind.  The fact that Jesus turned to prayer in this season should not be lost on us.  When Jesus is faced with the hardest test of his life he goes to deep, soul moving prayer.  He prayed so much, his spirit was so grieved, and he was in such agony that his sweat was like blood dripping from his body.

The fact that Jesus turned to prayer during this time should give an obvious indication of how important prayer is.  Jesus also instructed his disciples to pray so they would not enter into temptation.  What was the temptation of that night? To abandon their faith.  Even though Jesus had warned them that he would be tortured and killed (Matt. 16:21-23) they still did not fully understand what was to happen.  Jesus’ main weapon was prayer and that is why he instructed his disciples to be committed to prayer.  During prayer the disciples ended up falling asleep and when Jesus was arrested, they all abandoned him except for Peter and John.  Peter ends up denying Jesus three times as he prophesied.  

This all points to the fact that prayer is essential in the life of a believer.  When the disciples were faced with their biggest temptation from Satan himself, what did Jesus tell them to do?  PRAY! Do you have the same emphasis on prayer in your life?  Do you underestimate its power?  I feel like many of us treat prayer like something we say is important, but we don’t really practice it like it’s important.  It is one thing to say you value something, however your actions show what you value.

If prayer is the weapon that Jesus says it is then we need to be committed to it.  Not just with trite promises like, “I’m praying for you” but with actual prayer.  Why does it feel so awkward for Christians to stop what they are doing to pray about a situation wherever and whenever the need arises?  It should be the normal outpouring of God’s work in our lives to pray for people on the spot.  We should also be committed to daily times of prayer.  We should be persistent in our praying as Jesus told us in Matthew 7:7-11.  Jesus tells us to persistently pray as if someone is knocking at a door repeatedly until someone answers.  Let’s knock on heaven’s door with our prayers until the Father answers.

Jesus believed that prayer was effective and lived it out in his life.  We should follow his example and make prayer the priority of our Christian faith.  I wonder what a difference it would make in our lives and the lives of those around us if we committed to be people of prayer?  The church needs to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 21:13, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”.  Our churches, as well as our lives should be filled with prayer.  Let’s look to Jesus and make prayer the normal pattern in our lives.

Fighting Fair: 5 Steps to Resolving Conflict with Your Spouse

Do you fight with your spouse? It might be a small skirmish or an all-out war but at one point or another you will have a dispute with your spouse. Since conflict is inevitable, we need to come to some kind of agreement on how we should address these quarrels. You might be saying, “Hold up, Pastor Bryan! Shouldn’t we be striving to avoid fighting?” Avoiding conflict is not a biblical idea and often leads to resentment over time. Look at what the scriptures says:

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

Conflict must be addressed if we are to follow scripture. However, most couples do not fight fair. Instead of having a Christlike mindset, we seek to hurt the other person. We seek to win and conquer our spouse until they relent and recognize that we were right all along. We fight from a place of intense emotion and sometimes manipulation. All of this is a sinful way to resolve conflict. We need to learn to fight fairly! Here are some steps to resolving conflict in a biblical way:

1. Reconciliation is the goal: We must remember that reconciliation is the goal. We should always be seeking to restore the relationship with our spouse. Our model for dealing with conflict is how Jesus Christ has treated us. Instead of letting us stew in our sin and receive our just punishment, He came to seek reconciliation through the cross (Romans 5:10).
2. Be quick to listen and slow to speak: Communication is assumed and you must learn to share your heart with your spouse. One key part of communication is listening. The Bible tells us in James 1:19 to be quick to listen and slow to speak. It has been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we talk. You must listen to your spouse and understand where they are coming from before any conflict can be resolved.
3. Watch your words: When you do talk, be careful with how you talk to one another. Remember, once you say something, you cannot take it back. Even if you say sorry, the thing you said is out there. Do not resort to calling names, swearing, or using accusing language. It doesn’t help when you are attacking your spouse with words; you will most certainly regret it later on. According to Ephesians 4:29, we should not let any corrupt talk come from our mouths. Also, we see in James 3 an example of how powerful the tongue is in tearing down or building up.
4. Deal in facts: When we fight emotions can rise quickly. We need to remember that emotions are important, but they can mislead us if we are not careful.  We must deal in the facts and not emotion. Try to talk through the facts of the situation when you fight. Take a break from talking if the emotions get too high. Also sitting down at the same table rather than standing toe to toe helps. According to Ephesians 4:26-27 we can be angry and not sin. The sin happens when our anger produces hatred in our hearts, which usually results in shouting, withdrawal, and resentment. 
5. Run to forgiveness quickly: Forgiveness is the most important part of reconciliation. Once again, we look to Christ as our example. Colossians 3:13 says, “…if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” How can we not forgive our spouse when we have been forgiven so much by our Lord? If you refuse to forgive your spouse, you need to do a heart check. I understand that sins have varying consequences and work must be done to complete reconciliation.  I am not saying that forgiveness is easy or quick, however, we must be working toward forgiveness if we are to fully reconcile conflict with our spouse. We can bring glory to the Lord if we address our conflict in a biblical way!

For more on communication in marriage check out the Families for Life podcast Marriage series at oakhillbc.org/f4l

One Constant…Everything Changes

One thing I have learned is that change is inevitable.  There are some that welcome change and some that revile it, but one constant in life is change.  I have always been one that doesn’t want things to change.  I like the simple things in life, and I am fine if things stay just the way they are.  This has always been a challenge for me because as much as I try, life circumstances, people, the world, etc. are always changing.  Since change is unavoidable, how do I deal with it?  What can I do as a Christian to not only understand change but to leverage it for the glory of God? Here are 3 ways to deal with change:

1. The first thing we need to understand about change is everything changes, except for our Lord.  The Bible is replete with passages about the unchanging character (i.e. Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 40:8, Psalm 119:89, Psalm 102:27) of God.  This is very comforting in a world that is always changing.  We can always count on the Lord to be the same today as He was a thousand years ago.  This is important because it means we can trust the Lord.  We can also trust the promises that He made in the scriptures.  The unchanging nature of God is a distinct characteristic that should fill us with hope.  We can always count on our Lord, today and every day in the future.
   
2. Change gives us hope.  As much as I don’t like change, I realize that I am a product of change.  When I became a Christian, I was transformed and I have been on a trajectory of transformation ever since.  Change, or as it is also known – sanctification, is a reality for all believers.  We should relish the fact that we are not the person we used to be.  We should be thankful that the Lord works in our heart to make us more like Him.  In this way, change is good.  Change gives us hope.  We don’t have to remain stuck in our sin and disobedience.  God will help us to move out of it for His glory.  The main driver for this is still the basics of the faith.  The Word of God is the catalyst for change in our lives.  If you really desire to change, you must dive into God’s Word.  Embrace the fact that you are God’s ongoing masterpiece, and He will do an amazing work in your life.
   
3. Change is coming, so be ready.  You have one advantage in dealing with change: you know it is coming.  If you know something is coming then you can be ready for it.  You can’t ever be completely ready because you don’t know the specific things that will happen, however, there are some general principles that we can apply to be ready for any situation as a believer.  Peter shares this truth in 1 Peter 1:13-16:

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

How do we prepare for any challenge in life?  Set our focus on Jesus, live for Him instead of ourselves, and pursue holiness.  When we live this passage out in our lives then we can overcome any changes that come our way.

We can’t stop the world from changing, but we can rest in the fact that the unchanging Lord of Creation is sovereign over everything.  We can also look to Him to help us grow and change to be more like Him; in this way we can be prepared for whatever comes our way.  Change is inevitable, but that shouldn’t scare us. Rather, we should embrace it and be ready for the challenge.

For the Love of the Savior

Upward season is in full swing! We are starting the 14th season of the Upward basketball and cheer program at Oakhill. Every year boys and girls from kindergarten to 8th grade sign up to play in our league. This year we have our highest league enrollment with 222 basketball and cheer participants! We also have 50 coaches signed up to help. We will have many other volunteers that will help us when games start. We are thankful to the Lord for the many children in our program and the volunteers that serve. The Upward Sports Ministry is a unique and wonderful ministry. There are several reasons for this:

1. Emphasis on Spiritual Things
   Upward is not just a basketball and cheer league. We strongly emphasize the spiritual. Every practice coaches lead the players through a devotional. This year they are looking at snapshots from characters listed in Hebrews 11. The devotions build throughout the season emphasizing truth from God’s word and the gospel. We also have an intentional gospel presentation at one point in the season. Players can respond and we follow up with them if they want to know how to become a follower of Jesus. Finally, we do half-time devotions to bring a spiritual element to the games as well. Upward only works if we emphasize the spiritual along with the physical.

2. Emphasis on Relationships
   Another goal of our Upward league is to build relationships with our players and families. We want the Upward experience to be a positive one. We have found that if our staff, upward leaders, coaches and other volunteers focus on building relationships then we have a stronger league. We have connected with many great families that have played every year until their child ages out of the program. Relationships are key to making upward great.
   
3. Emphasis on Skills
   Upward is a competitive league, however we emphasize the players’ growth over competition. We want this to be a league where kids of all skill levels will feel welcome. We also want to see them grow in their skills as the season progresses. It is always so amazing to see how players improve. When we emphasize skills, all players feel valued and encouraged.
   
4. Emphasis on Affirmation
   Finally, Upward emphasizes an affirming attitude during games. You might see parents getting hot or coaches yelling at referees in other leagues. At the Oakhill Upward league, we see almost none of this. We work hard to create a positive environment where everyone from the player to the coaches to the referees to the parents are affirmed. We know that people make mistakes, refs will miss calls, players will miss shots but even through all of that we want to be encouraging. Our Upward league has a great reputation, and we hope to continue this tradition each season.

I hope you understand why we think the Upward Sports Ministry is so special. If you want to volunteer to help during the season, please contact me at bgotcher@oakhillbc.org. The biggest way you can help is to pray! Pray for our players to respond to the truth of the gospel. Pray for our coaches as they work with the players. Pray for a safe, fun, and positive environment in practices and games. We can never have enough people praying for us! Thank you for your support and prayers!

Living a Spirit-filled Life

Being a Spirit filled Christian is an important part of our faith.  This is something we should strive for daily.  This ideal seeks to shape us in the process of sanctification; however, we must not confuse being Spirit filled with being Spirit indwelled.  Every born-again Christian who has experienced the redemption found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ has been indwelled with the Holy Spirit.  This is the same Spirit which was promised by Jesus to help us in all that we do as believers (John 14:16-17).  The real question is if we recognize that He is in us and if we cooperate with Him.  This is what being filled by the Spirit is all about.  Paul explains this in Ephesians 5:18-21

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

The idea here is that we are repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit.  Wayne Grudem describes it like this, “…it is appropriate to understand the filling with the Holy Spirit not as a one-time event but as an event that can occur over and over again in a Christian’s life.  It may involve a momentary empowering for a specific ministry, but it may also refer to a long-term characteristic of a person’s life.” (Systematic Theology, 782).  Christians are called to continually be Spirit filled and to renew that filling if we find ourselves off-track or backslidden.  The big question is how do we become Spirit filled? Paul gives us a plan that results in a Spirit filled life:

1. Empty Yourself of the World (5:1-17)– It is hard to fill a glass that is already full of something else.  Paul uses Ephesians 5:1-17 to emphasize the fact that we need to rid our lives of worldly attitudes, thoughts, and actions.  Take a moment to read this entire passage and think about what things need to be emptied out of your life.
   
2. An Outward Attitude of Worship (5:19) – We should have a worshipful attitude toward everyone we meet.  This is to be taken literally and figuratively.  One sure fire way to engage with the Spirit is to sing songs of praise and worship to the Lord and talk about Him with other believers.
   
3. An Inward Attitude of Worship (5:19) – Our inward attitude should match our outward actions.  We can’t just sing songs of praise, we must internalize them and sing them to the Lord.  Making a melody to the Lord with our heart is about having a close relationship with the Lord.  That’s what an attitude of Spirit filled worship does for us.
   
4. An Attitude of Thanksgiving (5:20) – It is amazing how much better you feel when you express an attitude of thanksgiving.  There is something about gratitude that just makes us feel better.  It helps us to draw close to God and relate better to those around us.  Start by making a list of all that you are thankful for.  You might find that you run out of paper before you run out of things to be thankful for.
   
5. An Attitude of Submission (5:21) – Jesus is our authority.  Every Christian should walk in submission to Him.  However, if we say we submit to the Lordship of Christ but refuse to walk in humility, forgiveness, and love toward one another then we are not truly honoring Him.  Mutual submission among believers is submission to the Lord.  All our relationships should be marked by this type of living.  This is what it means to live a Spirit filled life.

The Discipline of God

I have never met anyone that enjoys being disciplined.  I certainly do not like it.  I remember when I was a child and would do something wrong, I would do everything to cover up my “crimes” so my parents wouldn’t find out.  Eventually they would find out and I would be punished.  It was always unpleasant, however, now as an adult I look back and I am thankful for the discipline of my parents.  Now I understand that they loved me, which translated into them wanting the best for me and meant teaching me to obey authority.  It is not just children that need discipline, though – we adults need discipline from time to time. Sometimes it is a boss, legal system, or some other authority in our lives and sometimes it is the Lord.  Yes, you read that correctly, the Lord disciplines His followers sometimes. Hebrews 12 teaches us this important truth:

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Hebrews 12:5-7

The author of Hebrews is dealing with the issue of sin and the discouragement it has caused in some of the believers’ lives.  The author spent chapter 11 giving examples of imperfect people from the Old Testament that were saved by grace through faith.  In chapter 12 he turns his attention to his audience to give them direct encouragement.  They are still struggling with sin even though they are redeemed people.  The consequences of their sin is giving them great discouragement.  The author helps them understand that these consequences are what God is using to discipline them. He is like a father that is trying to teach his children to obey.  

God wants us to obey Him and strive for holiness.  Right now, you might be saying, “But I thought God was full of grace and mercy, why is He disciplining me?”  First, a disciplining parent is a loving parent.  I am not talking about an abusive parent, rather one that is exercising biblical discipline to help their child to learn and grow into a godly
person.  This is what God is helping us to do.  Second, as John Piper says, Christianity has both a restful and wrestling side.  God’s word teaches us that when we come to Christ, we receive a great peace through the Spirit of God.  We also must wrestle daily in sanctification to throw off sin and pursue holiness.  This often seems like a wrestling match between the spirit and the flesh; however, rest assured Christ has won and will one day we will be made holy. 

In the meantime, it is our job to recognize the discipline of God and use it to rid our lives of sin.  We must remember that the discipline of God is a good thing.  The writer of Hebrews reminds us later in verse 11 -13 of the hope that discipline has: 

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.  Hebrews 12:11-13

My encouragement to you today is to be reassured that when we are disciplined by God it is because our Heavenly Father loves us.  We must receive that discipline like a child.  It will be unpleasant, but it is for our good.  So, we can all say, “Thanks be to our Lord and Father who cares enough to correct us when we stray!”

How to Understand God’s Word

On the Families for Life Podcast, Pastor Brian Van Doren and I have started a new series called Understanding God’s Word.  This series deals with things like hermeneutics (the science of interpretation), genre, and application of the Bible.  If you haven’t listened yet, check out the first two episodes at oakhillbc.org/f4l. 

The subject of hermeneutics is so important to our study of God’s Word; however, most Christians have never heard of it.  Until I attended Bible college in 1998, I was one of those people.  As I attended school my mind began to explode with new concepts, and I became fascinated with this subject.  The reason it is so important is because when hermeneutics, or proper interpretation, is applied to our study of God’s Word, the Bible comes alive.

Proper interpretation deals with not just reading the words on the page, of course that is part of it, but it goes deeper than that.  It means understanding context, history, genre, authorship, theology, and language. This may seem intimidating at first.  I know it was for me when I first began my journey, but we have access to unparalleled resources in our time.  Every Study Bible I have gives a brief summary of the author, the historical context, the audience, outline of the book, etc. before each individual book of the Bible.  We also have access to other resources like commentaries, concordances, dictionaries, theology books, etc. that all help us understand God’s Word.  You can log onto a website like blueletterbible.org and find a wealth of resources to help you interpret scripture.

All of this became clear to me as I sat in hermeneutics’ class, but access to resources was not my biggest revelation.  The thing that hit me the most dealt with the meaning of the text and how it applied to me.  Before I began learning this, I would read the Bible and would immediately ask, “What does this mean to me?”.  Why is this the wrong question to ask? For starters it assumes the reader is the one determining the meaning.  Proper interpretation tells us that God’s Word is first inspired by the Holy Spirit and written down by human authors.  This means they have written down things in their historical period, using their language, and their context.  The goal of studying God’s Word is not to find out what a text means to me rather, what does the text mean, period.  What is the meaning the author is trying to convey?  Once we ascertain the author’s meaning then we can ask the question, “How does this apply to me?”

Do you see the difference? When we approach God’s Word to discover the author’s meaning first the word comes alive to us; it is a God-focused endeavor instead of a selfish one.  The application is very important, but it comes second to discovering the meaning of the text.  Often the text will have one meaning but it will have many applications.  The reason is because we are applying the lesson to our lives in our historical time, in our language, and our context.  This is the proper order that must be maintained to properly interpret God’s Word.

The danger for us if we ignore proper interpretation is we miss discovering the truth of God’s Word.  We are also in danger of making ourselves the center of the scriptures when we know that Jesus is the center.  If we become the center, we can easily fall into heresy when we come across something we don’t like or when our cultural context calls for something different.  If Jesus is the center, then no matter the time or place God’s message is maintained. 

The encouragement for all Christians is to do what we are called to do in 2 Timothy 2:15, “rightly handling the word of truth.”  To do this we must first read God’s Word, then we must seek to understand it using proper interpretation but then we can’t stop there, we must apply God’s Word to our lives. The Scriptures are living and active (Hebrews 4:12) which means it is meant to be used to change our lives.  If you do not know how to study God’s Word and do not know where to begin, start by listening to the Families for Life Podcast series on Understanding God’s Word then seek out someone to help you.  I am always available to help with this or any other matter (contact me by email at bgotcher@oakhillbc.org).