Back to the Bible Jamaica (BttB Jamaica)

ABRAHAM - Making your faith work (7 of 20)

Today, our back to the Bible study will focus on the spiritual makeover God gave to Abram and Sarai, keeping in mind that he does the same for us.

Genesis 17

ABRAHAM - Making your faith work (6 of 20)

We are into week two of our 4-week series on the life of Abraham entitled “Making your faith word...

There are times we get anxious... we want to try and help God out...  but running ahead of God's plans can leave us running on empty. That was the case with Sarai and Abram's family planning, as we will see in today's study.

Genesis 16 

ABRAHAM - Making your faith work (5 of 20)

As we continue our study of the life of Abraham, under the theme Making your faith work, we see him on his journey of faith.  But while he stepped out in faith when God first called him, Abraham didn't do as well in Egypt...

Genesis 15

ABRAHAM - Making your faith work (4 of 20)

What do you do when a family member is in trouble? Do you write them off or do you rescue them? Find out how Abraham handled it in today's study.

Genesis 14

ABRAHAM - Making your faith work (3 of 20)

Our study today is about Abraham and Lot... when relatives make big mistakes. Here's Bible Teacher Woodrow Kroll.

Genesis 13 

ABRAHAM - Making your faith work (2 of 20)

Trusting God... that's part of making your faith work, as we'll learn today from Abraham in our back to the Bible study.

Genesis 12 

ABRAHAM - Making your faith work (1 of 20)

Today we're starting a new series, an extended look into the life of Abraham under the theme “Making your faith work’"

Genesis 12

What Keeps Me from Growing (10 of 10) - Overeating

A BAKER’S DOZEN OF VERSES ABOUT OVEREATING

1. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
2. 1 Corinthians 6:19 - 20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
3. 1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”
4. 1 Corinthians 6:12 - 13 “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything. ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”
5. Genesis 1:24 - 31 “And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.’ And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
6. Isaiah 25:6 “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”
7. Philippians 4:5 - 7 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
8. 1 John 2:15 - 16 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
9. Matthew 4:4 “But he [Jesus] answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’”
10. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
11. Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
12. James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
13. Psalm 139:13 - 14 “For You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

What Keeps Me from Growing (9 of 10) - Pride

Why Is Pride Bad for Us?
Here are some examples given in the Bible showing the destructive power of pride.
1. Pride is destructive because it was pride that caused Satan to sin and brought his downfall from heaven. Ezekiel 28:17

2. Pride is destructive because it often causes us to focus on our own physical features, like Satan did. Satan’s pride sounds a lot like the pride of Absalom, David’s favored son. 2 Samuel 14:25-26

3. Pride is destructive because it gives us a false sense of superiority.
Third John is a tiny book in the NT consisting of only 15 verses, yet it gives us an example of how pride can destroy us. Here’s what the apostle John wrote in verses 9-11.

4. Pride is destructive because it has a way of creeping into the work of the Lord. (Proverbs 27:2).

5. Pride is destructive because it lures us into thinking that we can live well independently of God.

 

A BAKER’S DOZEN OF VERSES ABOUT PRIDE

1. Proverbs 16:5 “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”
2. Galatians 6:3 “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”
3. Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”
4. James 4:6 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”
5. 1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
6. 2 Timothy 3:2 “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy.”
7. Proverbs 29:23 “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”
8. 2 Corinthians 12:7 “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.”
9. Romans 12:16 “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.”
10. Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”
11. 2 Corinthians 10:18 “For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”
12. Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

What Keeps Me from Growing (8 of 10) - Selfishness

Caution:

We have to distinguish between self-love and selfishness. If I counseled, you to “love yourself” would you have a negative reaction to that? Of course, you would. Maybe the word “egotistical” came to mind. But I’m not asking you to be self-centered or selfish. I’m asking you to respect yourself, protect yourself, take care of yourself. And that’s a biblical thing to do.

 

Here’s what the bible says.

• Leviticus 19:18 “Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself.” Now, you can’t love your neighbor as yourself unless you love yourself too.
• Matthew 19:19 “Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.”
• Mark 12:31 “The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
• Luke 10:27 “The man answered, ‘“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” And, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”’”
• Romans 13:9 “For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting—and any other commandment—are all summed up in this one commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
• Galatians 5:14 “For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
• James 2:8 “Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s royal command found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Developing Selflessness

So, what are some things we all can do that help curb that natural tendency toward selfishness and develop the character of selflessness just like Jesus? From what I glean from the Bible, let me suggest a few very practical things. 

1. Check your own heart. If you detect more than a little selfishness there, confess it to God for what it is—sin. “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
2. Look for ways to help other people. Anticipate their needs and feelings so you can meet them at the point they have them. You can always tell helpful people because you don’t have to tell helpful people you need help. Look around you. At the needs of your family. Do you have parents who need to feel loved and appreciated in their aging years. Call them. Tell them you love them. Anticipate their feelings and don’t be selfish. Bring them some joy.
3. Listen to people when they talk. It sounds so simple, but we are so bad at just lending a sympathetic ear or paying attention when people talk to us. We are selfish that way. If you consciously listen to what people have to say, you might both learn something and put yourself in a position to be used by the Lord to help them.
4. Don’t interrupt people when they talk. Let them finish their sentence. Don’t trump their story by interjecting your story. After all, their story may actually be more interesting to everyone than yours. You don’t always need to be talking. Did you know that you never learn anything while talking, except perhaps the accurate perception that no one is listening. Don’t interrupt. That’s selfish.
5. Compliment people. Do you know how thirsty some people are for the tiniest compliment? Perhaps it’s been weeks or months since they’ve had one. Be sincere, but show the love of Christ in the way you notice things about other people and compliment them.
6. Show kindness to all people. Even the least of these, Jesus says. Being kind doesn’t cost you anything. It doesn’t diminish you in any way. It doesn’t take cash to be kind, but it takes a lot of character. Paul said to the Romans, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10). To the Ephesians he said, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30-32).
7. Be on time. One of the most frequent acts of selfishness is being late. It presumes on the time of others and shows a lack of discipline on your part. It frustrates your friends, it disrupts the church service, and at work this act of selfishness could get you fired. It’s just as easy to be on time consistently as it is to be 10 minutes late consistently.

If a child grows up in a praising environment, the child will learn to appreciate.

If a child grows up in an encouraging environment, the child will learn to be confident.

If a child grows up in an environment of understanding, the child will learn to be patient.

If a child grows up in a just environment, the child will learn to be fair.

If a child grows up in a secure environment, the child will learn to trust.

If a child grows up in an environment of acceptance and friendship, the child will learn to find love in people. 

 

A BAKER’S DOZEN OF VERSES ABOUT SELFISHNESS

1. James 3:14 - 17 “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”
2. 2 Timothy 3:1 - 5 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
3. 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
4. Philippians 2:3 - 4 “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
5. Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
6. John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
7. Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
8. 1 Corinthians 13:5 “[Love is not] rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.”
9. John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
10. Psalm 119:36 “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
11. 2 Timothy 3:2 “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy.”
12. Romans 15:1 - 2 “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”
13. Proverbs 18:1 “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”