Saturday, April 24, 2010

X-Trials Bible Study at Starbucks

Thanks to Eddie for giving us an update on his China Mission trip. It was great hearing it. I think there may be an opportunity for a Small Group Study on applying Global Mission lessons at the Local Community level. Why is it sometimes easier to witness to a stranger in China than it is to go someplace local and witness to a stranger?

Since we didn't finish Lesson 7 of The Truth Project, we'll pick up where we left off and finish it this Thursday. Lesson 8 will start the following Thursday.

We ended the discussion this week on the Westminster Confession of 1646 (Dr. Tackett referenced this Confessions definition of the Trinity.) I encouraged everyone to read it or any of the several Confessions available and then begin working on your own personal Confession along with the Scriptual Proofs. It doesn't have to start off as some long, 40 page Confession. Just write

down what you believe and the Biblical Proofs. In the future, as you Biblically prove a belief, add it to your Confession. Feel free to discuss your Confession with others. In fact, I would encourage you to discuss it with others. Just remember that this is YOUR personal Confession so only add what you have proven for yourself.

Here are two well-known confessions and the latest Southern Baptist Statement:

Westminster Confession of Faith with Scriptural verses (PDF)
Westminster Confession of Faith with Full Scriptural Proofs (PDF)

Baptist Confession of Faith with Scriptural verses (1689) (PDF)

Baptist Faith and Message (2000) (PDF)

They are in PDF format. Let me know (X-trials@BrianBorden.com) if you would prefer them in another format.

There are others available as well. I'm including these as templates or guidelines if you need them. Yours can be a lot like them or nothing like them, as long as it is yours.

Good luck and God bless.

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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Truth Project - Sociology:The Divine Imprint

During the course of Tour 5 we took a good look at a few of the miraculous ways in which the physical universe declares the glory of its Maker. Now we turn south to consider some of the amazingly detailed reflections of God’s nature inherent in the social order. According to Dr. Tackett, the evidences of the divine imprint that we see in this realm are even more awe-inspiring and more indicative of the heart of the Creator than the marvels of DNA replication or the complexities of the blood-clotting system. But for this very reason they also stand closer to the focal point of the Cosmic Battle.

We begin where we left off in Tour 5: with the voice of nature making loud and unmistakable statements about the nature and character of God. “Ask the animals, and they will teach you,” says Job, “and the birds of the air, and they will tell you” (Job 12:7, 8). In this case, order is one of the overwhelming messages with which creation bombards us. From the atom to the solar system, from photosynthesis to the cleansing tides, from the human body to the design of a chicken egg – everywhere we look we see obvious indications of purposeful design in the things God has made. This, of course, is a serious problem for those who argue that the universe is the product of “random, mindless forces.”

The same element of order is apparent in the social systems God has instituted. Dr. Tackett lays out six that he see in Scripture: family, labor, church, state, community, and the relationship between man and his Maker. But the order we detect in this area is not simply an expression of the Lord’s creative design. Instead, it flows out of His very nature. It is a reflection of who He is. As Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Triune God embodies in Himself the ultimate resolution of the old philosophical problem of “the one and the many.” He exemplifies diversity within unity and the answer to why it is “not good for man to be alone” is bound up in the Triune Essence. Relationship, union, communion, intimacy, fellowship, love, and community – these things have existed from all eternity within the economy of the Godhead. Accordingly, they serve as the basis for the smooth and ordered functioning of creation. It is for this very reason, Dr. Tackett argues, that basic social institutions such as marriage, family, and church have come under such heavy attack in our day: just as the world, the flesh, and the devil hate the Creator with a fervent and undying hatred, so they inevitably stand opposed to the social order that bears the imprint of His divine nature.

As this tour unfolds, the principles of order and relationship will be examined specifically as we find them manifested in three of the social systems designed by God: the family, the church, and the union between God and man (“The Intimate Three”). During the course of this discussion, Dr. Tackett will explain how the threefold Trinitarian pattern is reflected in and fundamental to
the internal functioning of each of these spheres. Special attention will be given to the subject of the family and some of the pathologies associated with disregard for the divine plan in this crucial area of human life.

Statements from video interviewees poignantly highlight the pain, confusion, and deep emotional reactions connected with almost any examination of family life and family-related issues. Similar emotions are almost certain to arise during group discussion. The video segments also present a broad range of popular definitions of “family,” a subject that has the potential to stir up equally diversified reactions from group participants. In addition, Dr. Tackett and his students fearlessly broach the often troublesome topic of authority and submission within the context of marriage, the church, and other aspects of God’s social design.

Here is a preview of this weeks lesson:




You can watch the complete lesson here. Contact me (X-trials@BrianBorden.com) if you still need a Username and Password.



See you Thursday!

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