Habit #3: Spiritually Happy Men Are In A Small Group

Last Sunday, April 15, 2007, the men's group finished up Habit #2 and covered some additional topics regarding Habit #1 in the series which we are now working through, the "Six Habits of Spiritually Happy Men." Consequently, we will begin to look at the next "Habit" in the series, Number 3, "Spiritually Happy Men Are In A Small Group." There are video and audio (both streaming and downloadable) versions of the official "Man In The Mirror" presentations available for Habit #3 here. If you have about 35 minutes or so head on over and check them out. A downloadable "listeners outline" can be found here.

I don't have it with me right now, otherwise I would post it with this article, but Allan Trigg has put together a study sheet that corresponds to this habit. I will post that in a new article later on tonight.

Two Manner of People

Sermon Outline from April 15, 2007 - Pastor Scott Stout

Two Manner of People

Hebrews 11:20

The Description

Genesis 25:19-27

Genesis 25:23

The Despising

Genesis 25:29-34

The Disqualification

Genesis 27:30-36

Romans 1:24,26,28

Hebrews 12:16-17

Hebrews 12:16-17 AMP

Habit # 2: Spiritually Happy Men Pray With Their Wives

Last Sunday, April 8, 2007, the men's group broke into the next topic, Habit #2, in the series which we are now contemplating, the "Six Habits of Spiritually Happy Men." During the presentation that covers Habit #2 three main topics are discussed.

1. Is this hard and if so, why?
   
2. What make this important?
   
3. How to make it happen.
   

There are video and audio (both streaming and downloadable) versions of the official "Man In The Mirror" presentations available for Habit #2 here. If you have about 35 minutes or so head on over and check them out. A downloadable "listeners outline" can be found here.

I understand that the men's group will be looking at this topic again this coming Sunday, the 15th as we did not really finish up last week.

Why is reading the Bible is so valuable? - Part 3

Reason number 2 for the statement that we are exploring "Why reading the Bible is so valuable" from our series "Six Habits of Spiritually Happy Men" by Patrick Morley of Man In the Mirror is that "It is true." Jesus said if you continue in His word, then you will know the truth. (See John 8:32 -KJV):

Jhn 8:31	Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Jhn 8:32	And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 17:17b declares: "Thy Word is truth."

While thinking on this topic I was reminded of a book I have been reading recently, Truth Matters, which was written by John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Southern California. The book itself is a compilation of various chapters from several of MacArthur's books. In the first chapter, Truth in a world of theory, MacArthur quoted American theologian Albert Barnes in reference to his explanation of the word translated "perfect" in Psalm 19:7 (KJV). The quote comes from page 171 of Barnes' work entitled Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms, vol. 1, the text of which is reproduced below:

The meaning [of "perfect"] is that it [Scripture] lacks nothing in order to its completeness; nothing in order that it might be what it should be. It is complete as a revelation of Divine truth; it is complete as a rule of conduct. As explained above, this refers not only to the law of God, as the word is commonly employed now, but to the whole of Divine truth as revealed. It is absolutely true; it is adapted with consummate wisdom to the wants of man; it is an unerring guide of conduct. There is nothing there which would lead men into error or sin; there is nothing essential for man to know which may not be found there.

A more complete and succinct definition of that word I have not read. Barnes' complete commentary can be read over at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at their "Works by Albert Barnes" section.

Robert Moffat

I thought I'd continue today by adding some biographical information on Robert Moffat, a missionary to South Africa that I mentioned in a previous post. One of the lengthier on-line articles that I found on him is on a website called Wholesome Words, specifically in their missionary biography section here. Their introduction to Moffat is quoted below:

"Scottish pioneer missionary to South Africa for over 50 years. He opened mission stations in the interior, translated the Bible into the language of the Bechuanas, and wrote two missionary books on South Africa: Labors and Scenes in South Africa and Rivers of Water in a Dry Place. His oldest daughter Mary, married David Livingstone."

Other on-line Moffat resources are listed below:

• Encyclopedic Entry at Wikipedia.
• Biographical Sketch from East Hull Presbyterian Church.
• Short Biography (with Bibliography) at the Dictionary of African Christian Biography.
• eBook at Project Gutenberg.

Feel free to post other links to Moffat sites that you might find online in the comments area for this post

Isaac: A Symbolic Picture

Sermon Outline from April 8, 2007 - Pastor Scott Stout

Isaac: A Symbolic Picture

Hebrews 11:17-19

Romans 5:9

I Thessalonians 1:10

I Timothy 2:5

Hebrews 4:14

I. The Sacrifice

Genesis 22:1-5

Leviticus 1:1-4

II. The Submission

Genesis 22:6-9

III. The Substitute

Genesis 22:10

Genesis 22:13

Genesis 17:19

Hebrews 11:17-19 (again)

Genesis 22:14 NIV

IV. The Symbolic Picture

Acts 2:23 HCSB

Revelation 13:8 "...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

I Peter 3:18

John 15:13

Luke 22:42

John 1:29 "...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Galatians 1:3-4

Romans 4:25 NIV

Why is reading the Bible so valuable? - Part 2

I was reading another blog that I monitor this week called Challies Dot Com when I stumbled across this quote from a famous old missionary to South America, Robert Moffat, regarding his relationship with the Word of God. I thought it was particularly applicable to this part of our study on the "Six Habits." (The following text is the entire post from Challies Dot Com, the part in italics is the quote from Robert Moffat).

Robert Moffat was a Scottish missionary to South Africa and this quote is drawn from a letter he wrote to his wife Mary. In the mid 1850's he completed the great work of translating the entire Bible into Sechuana and subsequently revised the translation several times. Despite this work he provides an assessment of the limitations imposed by his humanity.

It was only yesterday, after laying down the Bible, that I wondered what kind of mind I would have had if I had not the Book of God, the Book containing the astounding idea of 'from everlasting to everlasting,' the development of all that is worth knowing ... One would think, that as I have critically and, I think, devoutly read and examined every verse, every word in the Bible, some a score of times over, I should not require to open the pages of that unspeakable blessed Book. Alas, for the human memory! I read the Bible today with the same feeling I ever did, like the hungry when seeking food, the thirsty when seeking drink, the bewildered when seeking counsel and the mourner when seeking comfort. Don't you believe all this? For alas, I read it sometimes as a formal thing, though my heart condemns me afterwards ... I am yet astonished at my own ignorance of the Bible!