I am asking you to do a chart of Mark 1 in order to record your observations. Since there are 7 paragraphs or sections in this chapter you will need 7 sections in your chart. You should have one paragraph for each section. Once you have your 7 sections you can begin to write observations in each section. Since you have limited space to record observations you may need to make brief succinct comments. Doing observations this way allows you to oversee the larger section of God’s Word. I trust you will enjoy the journey and process. Have a great weekend! See you Sunday!

   As we begin to read larger and longer portions of God’s Word and record our observations of what we see the problem becomes how to control the amount of information we are seeing. It is too much to copy every word nor could you often get it all on one page. We have to learn to abbreviate and summarize statements so that you can get the meat of the passage before you one one sheet. A good way to analyze material in a chapter or book is to record major ideas on a horizontal or vertical chart. Charts are great for seeing Cause-Effect Contrast.

  Our assignment this week is to record our observations of Mark 1:1-45 on a horizontal or a vertical chart. I am asking you to spend 4-5 periods of 15-20 minutes in observing Mark 1. I pray that you enjoy the process and journey as you interact with God’s Word! Be careful because it might just change your life!

      We learned that Nehemiah was leader in the way he responded to the report of the exiles back in Jersusalem. He had compassion because he cared about His people and one of his own family Hanini, a brother brought the report. We talked about how the verbs are the words that always take us to the action. It is true here because we see that Nehemiah sat, wept, mourned, fasted, and mourned for days. The report was not only that the city was in shambles but the people were discouraged. Nehemiah first inclination and response was to go the Lord with this burden rather than talk about it.

     We also saw how we are given a model of prayer in the pattern he followed. Nehemiah starts with praise or adoration for who God is and then moves to confession of not only the people’s sins but his own sins. Then he reminds God of the promises He has made to His People. God loves to hear His people share His promises. Then finally he prays specifically that God will help him be sucessful as he goes to talk about this report with the king. We learn that God answers that prayer 6 months later in chapter 2.

     We also learned from Prof Hendricks that there are 6 additional items to look for as we observe.

       1. Look for things that are emphasized.

       2. Look for things that are repeated.

       3. Look for things that are related.

       4. Look for things that are alike. (indicated by the words “as” or “like”)

       5. Look for things that are unlike. (indicated by the key word “but”)

        6. Look for things that are true to life. (We learned that the Bible is always realistic in the way it portrays people & life.)

         So join us this week as we practice what we learned in observation on Mark 1:1-45 . Remember I am asking you to commit to 4-5 times of 15-20 minutes to invest in looking into God’s Word. Focus on what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We are also going to use a vertical or horizontal chart to help capture our observations of what we see in this bigger section of scripture. You can be creative as there no certain way to do it. Have a great week and join me in the adventure of getting into the Book!

                      Psalm 46:10 “Be still (cease striving)and know that I am God”

                     Matthew 6: 33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”

                    Colossians 3:2-3 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

                                                             For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

                   Hebrews 10:22  ”Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,

                                                         having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience

                                                         and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

                   This leads me to 4 things I pray for:

                             1. A cleansed life.   1 John 1:8-10. We see it also in Nehemiah 1:3-7 that is part of his heart’s response.

                            2. Illumination from the Holy Spirit who is our guide and teacher. John 14:26

                            3. Dependence on the Holy Spirit . 1 Corinthians 2:10-13.

                            4. Willingness to obey what we learn. John 15:10

            I trust that these thoughts give you some of the heart, attitude, and approach we need as we learn to use these new tools of observation. Have a great Friday! Finish the week strong! I am looking forward to what God is going to teach us through our observations of Nehemiah 1:1-11 on Sunday in “Living By The Book”. If you are following along out there in this blog I invite to take some time and ask yourself  “What Do I See?” in Nehemiah 1:1-11 by asking the basic observational questions: Who are the people involved? What is happening? Where does it take place? When does it take place? Why is this here? How does it happen?

        1. I need to be in the Word in order to know God better. (Philippians 3:10)The Bible is where I learn more about who God is. Knowing more about the Bible is not an end in itself but rather a means to an end. If all you are interested in is information or knowledge you have totally missed the purpose for which God gave us Scripture. The end  is understanding God and knowing Him better. The Bible is a means to that end because God has revealed Himself through His written Word. Prof Hendricks said,”the Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.”

       2. I need to be in the Word in order to grow in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18) My spiritual growth is in direct proportion to my personal intake of Scripture. We have alot of Christians running around who are spiritually malnourished. Sometimes I do that to myself even in the midst of serving Christ. So how goes it with your spiritual nourishment. The first senior pastor I worked with was Ed Bateman. If you asked Ed how he was doing he always answered, “Just taking in nourishment ” meaning I am enjoying the Word today. Have you enjoyed being in the Word today?

      3. I need to be in the Word in order to serve Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)  The Word of God equips us as believers to be able to serve as fully devoted followers of Christ. I don’t know about you but I do not want to miss an opportunity to serve the Lord with all that I have. The Word of God prepares and resources me to be able to serve Christ in a way that glorifies Him. Glorifying Christ is the purpose for which you and I were created. The Bible facilitates that by providing all that I need to serve Christ.

    4.  I need to be in the Word because of the benefits it brings to my life. (Psalm 1 & Psalm 119)

           a. Stability (Psalm 1:1-3). That is a needed commodity in these uncertain times. I need it and so do alot of folks.

           b. Purity of life (Psalm 119:9-11). There does not seem to be alot of that running around today. I need it and so do all of us.

           c. Counselor (Psalm 119:24). I sure can use one of those today and guess what it is free and I can go back as many times as I want. And yes I do have Jewish background.

           d. Direction (Psalm 119:99, 100, 105). I sure can use more of that today and I am sure you could to. The word of God supplies it to us. It is the flashlight shining just enough on the path ahead of me to let me take the next step in God’s plan.

           I trust sharing these thoughts has been helpful and encouraging to get some time in the Word. The summer is a great time to do it. Start with 15-20 minutes. Have a great day and grab some time in the Word of God today! Look out because it might just change your life.

       “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard, and not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6: 46-49 NIV

   Did you hear the stinging of the Words of Christ in that first question?  The New Living Translation puts it like this:“So why do you call me Lord, when you won’t obey me.” Luke 6:46 NLT  Those words ring in my ears every time I hear the Word taught or study it on my own. As I encourage you to slow down and take some time today and this week to get into God’s Word I am realizing I need to do it myself. Let’s do it together and then be ready to practice what we learn. Have a  great day!

     What makes one person a better student of the Scptures is not knowledge or intelligence. What makes one person understand more is that they see more. They see more because they know the right questions to ask.    

    The first step in inductive bible study is OBSERVATION. Observation is where we ask and answer the question, What do I see? Here are the basic observational questions to ask as we begin to study a verse, a passage, a chapter, or a book in the Bible:

        Who? Who are the people involved.

       What? What is going on here?

        Where? Where does this take place ?

        When? When does this take place?

         Why? Why is this here?

       How? How did this happen or how was this accomplished?

       Did you notice that these are all the questions a journalist would write if they were reporting a story. Notice the front page of the newspaper or the lead stories on a web-based newsite and you will see that these are the questions a good reporter or writer seeks to answer. These are also the questions that start us down the trail of personal discovery of the Word.

       As we do this we must become better at observing. We must follow the sequence of read, reflect, and then record what we see on paper. A pen or a pencil becomes a mental crowbar to pry out thoughts & observations. Read something repeatedly and then reflect upon it and then record in a notebook or on paper. After we do this for 15-20 minutes then put it away and come back to it later.

      As we do this process we need to become better readers. We need to read the passage or book as if it were the first time we ever read it. We need to read it in different translations. We need to read the Bible as if it were a love letter. The Bible is God’s love letter to you and I. I can tell you that after my wife and I first started dating we were separated for a summer and by 1500 miles for 3 and 1/2 months and so we wrote letters. I did not read the letters she sent me like ordinary mail. I poured over them seeking to understand what she meant. That is exactly the way we should look at God’s Word.

       You and I have a love letter from God in the Bible and because of that fact there  should be a change in the way we approach it. God is communicating to us and we need to be ready to stop and listen and see what He is saying. Try it and see what you see. Have a great Sunday!

                                  ”Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10

     This past Sunday I began facilitating a class entitled “Living By The Book” which is a seven week dvd series featuring one of my professors from Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Howard Hendricks or “Prof” as we called him. He is teaching folks how to study the Bible by acquiring some tools that will equip and enable you to be able to dig into God’s Word for yourself and mine some of the gold that is there. I can tell you that this is the class that literally changed my life . Once I learned some principles and approaches to bring to my personal daily time in the  Bible I was hooked. I love to teach this class because it literally turns loose the power of the Word in a believer’s life by bringing to life that which is already “alive” and “powerful.”

    The three-fold process of inductive Bible study is

                                  1.) OBSERVATION-where we ask and answer the question WHAT DO I SEE?

                                 2.) INTERPRETATION-where we ask and answer the question WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

                                 3.) APPLICATION-where we ask and answer the question HOW DOES IT WORK?

       We will talk tomorrow about the first step OBSERVATION.  One of the benefits of getting into God’s Word is that it provides direction for our life. I don’t know about you but I am always looking for  direction. The Word of  God is the first and best place to get direction.

                                   “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105

     Have a great day!

http://youtu.be/Wkc9-SvqfDM

    I am in the 2nd week of a new parttime job as hospice chaplain at Sunset Hospice here in Tomball. I am also continuing my responsibilities as shepherding pastor at Tomball Bible Church. For any of you who have started new jobs you know it can be a little overwhelming at first. I really enjoy the staff and the opportunities to serve more families in our communities up & down the  249 corridor through hospice. The office is a whole 1.8 miles from home so that is a real plus. It you would like to know more about Sunset Hospice check out their website at www.sunsethospice.com Have a great Tuesday and it is good to be back with you.