Blessed & Bearded's Biblical Blog

How to devotionally listen to a Sunday Sermon/How to worship on Sunday. What to do with a "dud" sermon. Best way to take notes on Sunday. The "Impossibles" of Hebrews. How to get theology from head to heart to body.  How to become Zealous; Matthew 24:12, 44-51, Rev. 2:5 Applications of Election: John 15:16, Gal. 1:15-16. What is encouragement? Why we don't listen to Impending Doom on Sundays? Trichotomy vs. Dicotomy.  Pedo vs Credo Baptism: 1689 vs. Westminster.  What is the difference between self-improvement and sanctification? What to do on the Sabbath? And what is the meaning thereof? When Job and Paul saw the sovereignty of God; Job 40:2, Romans 9:19-20. Marriage: Knowing, loving, and living the reality of the Gospel.  Biblical anatomy.  A Nature walk with God. The Trinity: What? So what? Alex and Rufus: Mark 15:21, 1 Tim. 1:20, 2 Tim. 4:14, A Romans 9 study/illustration.  "Work of the Lord" An exegesis of 1 Cor. 15:58 Why Northern and Southern Is...

Who is God? Who is this Creator who spoke to mankind in a book? And what did He mean when He said to Moses, "I am who I am."- Exodus 3:14. This question matters because the Christian religion a serious religion that deals with reality and this question is the most important one for anyone to ask; it is imperative that we get it correct. God is who God is means that He never had a beginning.  God is who God is means that He has no end. God is who God is means that He is absolute reality. He is all that was in eternity.    God is who God is means that He is eternally, absolutely independent. God is who God is means that all that is not God is dependent (or secondary) to Him.  God is who God is means that all the universe, by comparison to God, is as nothing. God is who God is means that He is constant, absolute perfection. God is who God is means that He is the absolute standard of truth and beauty. God is who God is means that God does whatever He please...

- Hymns help to teach the tenets of the faith and remember them. - Words of sound doctrine mixed them with a memorable tune to result in lessons that can be easily learned/remembered.  - Theology: Study of God - Theology is the foundation of all your thinking; it sets the inclinations of the heart/mind. Questions to consider: What theology is expressed in the congregational's singing? Is there sufficient pastoral breadth in music?  Is there sufficient liturgical breadth? Is there sufficient historical, cultural breadth? Does the music serve the text? Does the music encourage corporate worship? Is the music appropriate to the capability of the congregation? Do the hymns we sing encourage growth in discipleship?

It has been said that "If you wish to truly learn you must teach." Over the past 8 months of teaching through the Gospel of John, I have learned the validity of this statement. Not only have I learned more on proper interpretation of scripture and theology but I have become conceived of, and had my heart ignited by, 5 point Calvinism. As tiresome and difficult as these past few months have been at times I am overwhelming grateful for it all. I often use the analogy of a gold-miner when speaking on the glories of teaching and interpreting the text. As tiresome, difficult and even discouraging as the work of gold-mining is, it is all worth it when one finds the prize of the precious metal. Likewise, as tiresome, difficult and even discouraging as the work of proper interpretation is; it is all worth it when I find even the littlest piece of truth within the scripture. Given this, I have found it to also be maddening work. I often find myself intellectually moving at neck-...

This Sunday morning at service Josh, who was filling in for our usual ministers, opened up with a story that went like this, "So I commonly check in on some of my former students. And one of them posted just the other day saying, 'I'm 2.5 years out of school. Is this all life as to offer?' Yes! Yes of course life has more to offer and the answer is Jesus." To which my reply always will be in the words of Paul Tillich, "Jesus might be the answer but what's the question?" (Tillich, Systematic Theology vol. 2) There is an entire generation of young people in America that did what we were told to do, go to High School, then a good College and get your dream job; yet hardly any of us got the job we wanted and are now under debt but the system that either lied to us or was simply so incredibly incompetent to feed us such garage. Either way, we were led down the wrong path by our elders and we're left with debt for a fancy degree that we'll proba...

John 19:35 "He who saw it has borne witness- his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth that you also may believe." John 20:30-31 "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 21:24 "This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written about these things, and we know that his testimony is true." So John wrote this gospel to bear witness about what the Christ did for the expressed purpose of causing belief in you, reader. The implication is that you, prior to belief, have no life and are dead in sin. Therefore, having heard the testimony of John you are to have the eyes of your heart opened to the glorious, wonderful truth that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and His ministry for you and believes in ...