by Bret Capranica | Jul 28, 2011 | Biblical Studies, Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think The biblical book of Numbers has several of the most memorable scenes from Israel”™s early days after the Exodus. Read through the following sections and see if you can summarize the main idea and list any principles that you think would apply to God”™s people in general: Numbers 11 Numbers 12 Numbers 13-14 Numbers 16 Numbers 20 Numbers 21-25 Prayerfully Meditate The New Testament mentions a number of sections found in the book of Numbers. Read each passage and see if you can find where in Numbers the New Testament author is referring to and what the corresponding lesson for Christians is. John 3:1-15 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Hebrews 3:7-4:16 Intentionally Act From what you have read in the passages above, what sin needs to be acknowledged before God? What elements of praise should you express to Him? For what can you be specifically grateful in light of what you have been meditating upon from Numbers? Pray for those who will attend this Sunday and do not personally know the saving work of Christ. Pray their hearts will be opened to His mercy and changed through the Spirit”™s conviction. Pray that God”™s people will be appropriately challenged and encouraged, equipped to serve Christ well. Pray for those leading the service on Sunday (Dawson Bryant, music; Mark Krystyniak, prayer and Scripture reading, Bret Capranica, teaching). Pray that they will assist the congregation in acceptable praise to Christ. Pray for the others who will also be assisting to ensure our worship honors Christ (instrumentalists, visual and audio techs, ushers, etc.). Meditate on the lyrics of the songs for Sunday and...
by Bret Capranica | Jul 21, 2011 | Biblical Studies, Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think Read through Leviticus 1-5 and make a list of the various offerings Israel was to give. What was the role of the priest? What did the one making the offering have to do? What was the overarching reason for all of the offerings? Read Leviticus 10. What was Nadab and Abihu”™s failure? What does this suggest about God? What does it suggest about people and their approach to God”™s commands? Read Leviticus 16. What is the main theme of this chapter? Who”™s sin was covered? How? What do you learn about how sin is atoned for in this chapter? Read Leviticus 18-20. What is the overarching motive mentioned over and over that should move the Israelites to obedience? Prayerfully Meditate According to Leviticus, how much of life was treated as worship? What does this suggest about how God”™s people should think about life? According to Leviticus how do you know that God took public worship so seriously? What does it suggest to us about our approach to worshiping God? Read Hebrews 8-10. In what ways is Jesus the fulfillment of what you read in Leviticus? Read Matthew 5-6. In what ways is Jesus the fulfillment of what you read in Leviticus? What should the most significant effect of Leviticus be on your approach to worship this Sunday? Intentionally Act What areas of sin have been brought to your mind in contemplating Leviticus and its affect on worship and life? Confess those specifically to God in prayer. Respond in prayer to God for what you have learned from Leviticus and Hebrews (mentioned above) and the role Jesus plays...
by Bret Capranica | Jul 20, 2011 | Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Video, Worship
Be sure to see our web-site bookstore to find links to the music we sing each week. To order one of our hymnals clicker HERE. Download Songs for the Cross Centered Life Download Awaken the Dawn, Keith and Kristyn Getty Download Enfield’s O For That Day Don’t forget about our Dessert Fellowship with the Bowmans this Sunday Evening at 5:30 p.m. Bring your favorite dessert to...
by Bret Capranica | Jul 19, 2011 | Featured Articles, Ordinary Pastor, Pastoral Ministry, Time/Life Management
This week I will spend the better part of a morning reviewing major personal and ministry goals from the past three months and evaluating what I should focus on over the upcoming three months. I make these plans in theological pencil, recognizing that God riules over every detail in both the short and long term ““ I am desperate to avoid presumption (James 13-17). At the same time, I want to be wise and intentional about the life and ministry God has entrusted to me as a stewardship. So what will I do this Thursday morning in evaluation and planning. Pray. This is more than an obligatory beginning step; it is a cry to an almighty God from a desperate heart that is deeply affected by His merciful grace, seeking wisdom and leadership from the one who is all-knowing. I dare not plan without a spirit of dependency, and dependency is deepened when I humble my heart in prayer. Review my long-range goals. I base these on the providential roles I have (husband, father, pastor, etc), as well as key verses that describe God’s desires for me inch of these roles. Some of my roles have been broken down into additional categories (i.e., pastor: teacher, shepherd, staff supervisor, etc.). I often find myself revising these long-term goals, seeking greater clarity insight of providential circumstances, better understanding gained through the study of Scripture, the passing of time and gaining specific experience. My aim is to to be practical in how I apply God’s word in each of the roles God has blessed me. Review my annual goals. Each year I...
by Bret Capranica | Jul 18, 2011 | Biblical Studies, Bookreviews, Featured Articles, General Theology, Ordinary Pastor, Video
Cap-Review: The Glory of God from Bret Capranica on Vimeo. An Ordinary Pastor’s Brief Review of The Glory of God: Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson have blessed the church with a helpful volume in Crossway”™s “Theology in Community” series, entitled, The Glory of God. The aim of the book is to ask and answer the question, “what does the Bible teach” about God”™s glory (20). The editors seek a two pronged attack in achieving their aim. Chapters 1-6 seek to “help us glorify God in our minds by focusing on biblical and theological truths related to his glory. Chapters 7 and 8 help us rejoice in our hearts as they illuminate how these truths about God”™s glory shape our view and approach to the church, pastoral ministry, and missions” (21). Nine different authors, all instructors at theological institutions, contribute to the volume. The audience is intended to be college and seminary students and those pastors with such training (14). The book is arranged by addressing the subject of God”™s glory historically, then from the perspective of the Old Testament, New Testament, the Synoptic Gospels/Acts/General Epistles, John”™s Gospel/Revelation, and Paul”™s Epistles. The book then contains a chapter on the overall theology of God”™s glory, and concludes with chapters on pastoral and missional implications of God”™s glory. I found the structure and arrangement of the book helpful. Moving from an historical sweep to looking at how God”™s glory is described in detail from the Old Testament through the emphases in various New Testament genre, then to a more global evaluation of the biblical material, ending with more practical implications was...
by Bret Capranica | Jul 15, 2011 | Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think This Sunday we will be finishing up with Exodus 19-40. Our focus will be from chapters 32-40. Read through these chapters and see if you can identify and write down the main idea for each of them. Read Exodus 32 again. Note carefully, who did Israel and Aaron say the golden calf represented? How does Israel”™s sin relate to any of the Ten Commandments? Chapters 25-31 and 36-40 describe the construction of the Tabernacle. Why do you think this was so important in Israel”™s life? What indications do you see in the text? Prayerfully Meditate From reading chapters 32-34, what lessons was Israel to learn about themselves and about relating to God? How would those lessons correlate to us? In what ways do we pursue idolatry as Israel did in chapter 32? How would you relate your passion for God”™s glory to Moses”™ passion for God”™s glory as seen in 33-34? Intentionally Act From what you have been seeing both last week and this week, how should Exodus be impacting your approach to worship with God”™s people each Sunday? What needs to be enhanced, stopped, changed ““ in your personal approach to corporate worship? Spend some time praying for those who will be leading the service on Sunday (Bret Capranica, teaching; Dawson Bryant, music; Mark Krystyniak, prayer and Scripture reading). Pray that they will be thoughtful, focused, encouraging, helpful to the body, and full of Christ in their leadership. Pray for others who will be participating in the worship service ““ that they will have servant”™s hearts, affection for Christ that encourages others, focus on how their...
