September 17, 2015

Practical Help in Reading the Letter to the Hebrews

September 17, 2015/ Jeremy Loyd

The letter to the Hebrews can be a bit daunting. Yes, we have our favorite passages. Who doesn't know about the giants of the faith in chapter 11 or the exciting challenge to run our lap of the race in chapter 12? Then there's the assurance that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever in chapter 13. But what about the message of the entire book? For those of you who would like to understand the message of this Christ-exalting book, there is help! Here are a few tips for those of you who are reading the letter to the Hebrews.

Please don't get discouraged...do what you can. One of my mottoes of life is "Something is better than nothing." "All or nothing" used to be my motto...but that is unrealistic, and you'll end up with nothing most of the time. God wants to speak to us in this glorious word of His. Listen for HIM as you read!

That being said, here are some ideas that, I think, can be helpful.

There are some major warning passages scattered throughout the book...5 of them, in fact. I have found that if you block off these passages and then read through the book without them several times, it's much easier to get the flow of the author's thought.

Then after reading through that way, read the warnings within the context of the flow of thought. It is really amazing how you will be able to see why the warnings come where they do.

Here are the passages (I have drawn a box around each of them in my text of Hebrews):

Warning #1 = 2:1-4 Warning #2 = 3:7-4:13 Warning #3 = 5:11-6:20 Warning #4 = 10:26-39 Warning #5 = 12:15-29

After you read and get the flow of thought and then put the warnings back in, take a look at this outline to further help you:

Plan of the Epistle to the Hebrews

Listening via audio can also be helpful. If you have the Bible on CD or MP3, pop that in your player and listen. Here is a link to a youtube audio of Hebrews:

May you be blessed as you read, dear sisters and brothers!

Thy Word

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path

When I feel afraid And think I've lost my way Still, You're there right beside me Nothing will I fear As long as You are near Please be near me to the end

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path

I will not forget Your love for me and yet My heart forever is wandering Jesus by my guide And hold me to Your side And I will love You to the end

Nothing will I fear As long as You are near Please be near me to the end

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path And a light unto my path You're the light unto my path

JESUS IS BETTER, intro Class Notes

September 16, 2015

Sacred Reading: Hearing the Whisper of the Lord

September 16, 2015/ Jeremy Loyd

Devote yourself to the...reading of Scripture... 1Timothy 4:13 Why not begin your fall Bible study (no matter what that may be) by reading, reading, and then reading again.

Or as my almost 4 year old grandson Carter and I would say, "Reading?...reading?...how about reading?"

And why should we read? Because it's by repeated reading that we begin to get the "big picture" of what God is saying in the Bible. We also begin to notice repeated key truths.

And most precious of all, we begin to hear the Lord speak to us through His treasured words.

As the prophet Jeremiah once said,

Your words were found and I ate them,And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;For I have been called by Your name,O Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

Or as my sweet friend Penny once prayed,

LORD, Your words are so delicious!

During the past summer, a small group of ladies met at BellHOP Cafe in Bellbrook OH every Friday afternoon. We shared with each other the Lord's "whisperings" from our personal meditative reading in the Gospel of John from the previous week. Then we spent time in worship based on our treasured reflections. Our time with the Lord was so rich!

If you would like to explore what is traditionally called lectio divina, read this short excerpt and click here for the remainder of the article: Whisper of the Beloved (2 pages).

Lectio Divina is like the joyful reading of an ancient pile of love letters. It is a time to listen-- not to dissect, analyze, evaluate or dialogue. It is not studying to learn about the Scriptures; it is reading to listen. Come to this reading and listening as a young lover would-- eager to hear afresh the whisper of the Beloved. Listen to the sound of each word. Read slowly. And rest as you listen.

So this week, grab a journal or notebook, your Bible. Chose a book or passage (maybe using different versions for each day) and then just read, read, read -- not books about the Bible. Read the Scriptures!

Write down verses that jump out, thoughts that come to you in the reading...and of course, prayers that rise up. Write it down. Trust me, you will forget! So you will be glad to have recorded what God may be saying to you!

So...HAPPY, RESTFUL READING...and I'll see you later on.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2Timothy 3:16-17

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here's a link to Bible Gateway. You can read in many different versions at his site. Just enter the passage and the version you want and...voila!

I've been enjoying The Voice, a new translation of the New Testament published by Thomas Nelson. For a free download and short video clips, follow this link:

http://www.nelsonfree.com/voicent

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you would like to join us in our fall reading and study in the letter to the Hebrews, here is a chart that will help you as you read through the book of Hebrews multiple times. Make notes in the corresponding boxes for each chapter as you go along:

Hebrews Reading Chart

January 16, 2013

Hebrews: HE IS!

January 16, 2013/ jan

It's all about Jesus...it's all about HIM! How He's the Son of God...and the Son of Man!

How He's better than everything! How He's incomparable! Our Great High Priest! The Captain of our Faith! Our Savior! The Great Shepherd of the Sheep! Our Sabbath Rest! The Sacrifice for Sin! And so much more!

And because of Him and all He is and all He's done... Because He's gone before, paved the way for us...

Now we can "run our lap in God's race of faith" with endurance [after all, it's a "marathon"], hope, faith, love [it's also a "relay"]

Fixing our eyes on Him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...

Remembering we are part of something bigger than ourselves...God's great timeline of people of faith (Hebrews 11)

And remembering we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken!

That's the book of Hebrews...that's the Bible, Old Testament and New

It's all about HIM...because HE IS!

HE IS Aaron Jeoffrey

In Genesis, He's the breath of life In Exodus, the Passover Lamb In Leviticus, He's our High Priest Numbers, The fire by night Deuteronomy, He's Moses' voice In Joshua, He is salvation's choice Judges, law giver In Ruth, the kinsmen-redeemer First and second Samuel, our trusted prophet In Kings and Chronicles, He's sovereign Ezra, true and faithful scribe Nehemiah, He's the rebuilder of broken walls and lives In Esther, He's Mordecai's courage In Job, the timeless redeemer In Psalms, He is our morning song In Proverbs, wisdom's cry Ecclesiastes, the time and season In the Song of Solomon, He is the lover's dream

He is, He is, HE IS!

In Isaiah, He's Prince of Peace Jeremiah, the weeping prophet In Lamentations, the cry for Israel Ezekiel, He's the call from sin In Daniel, the stranger in the fire In Hosea, He is forever faithful In Joel, He's the Spirits power In Amos, the arms that carry us In Obadiah, He's the Lord our Savior In Jonah, He's the great missionary In Micah, the promise of peace In Nahum, He is our strength and our shield In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He's pleading for revival In Haggai, He restores a lost heritage In Zechariah, our fountain In Malachi, He is the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings

He is, He is, HE IS!

In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, He is God, Man, Messiah In the book of Acts, He is fire from heaven In Romans, He's the grace of God In Corinthians, the power of love In Galatians, He is freedom from the curse of sin Ephesians, our glorious treasure Philippians, the servants heart In Colossians, He's the Godhead Trinity Thessalonians, our coming King In Timothy, Titus, Philemon He's our mediator and our faithful Pastor In Hebrews, the everlasting covenant In James, the one who heals the sick. In First and Second Peter, he is our Shepherd In John and in Jude, He is the lover coming for His bride In the Revelation, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords

He is, He is, HE IS!

The prince of peace The Son of man The Lamb of God The great I am He's the alpha and omega Our God and our Savior He is Jesus Christ the Lord And when time is no more

He is, HE IS!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hebrews outlines:

Plan of the Epistle to the Hebrews

Homework: Read, read, read Hebrews (use the charts to help)Hoping for Something Better: Read pages xi-xx *Do the questions on Heb 1:1-2:4 on p. 186-188 Read chapter 1, p.1-20

Class notes for the Introduction: JESUS IS BETTER, intro

January 10, 2013

Hebrews: Reading Week

January 10, 2013/ Jeremy Loyd

Devote yourself to the...reading of Scripture... 1Timothy 4:13 Let's begin our restful study of the letter to the Hebrews by reading, reading, and then reading again.

Or as my almost 4 year old grandson Carter and I would say, "Reading?...reading?...how about reading?"

And why should we read? Because it's by repeated reading that we begin to get the "big picture" of what God is saying in the Bible. We also begin to notice repeated key truths. And most precious of all, we begin to hear the Lord speak to us through His treasured words.

As the prophet Jeremiah once said,

Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

Or as my sweet friend Penny once prayed,

LORD, Your words are so delicious!

So this week, grab a journal or notebook, your Bible (maybe different versions for each day) and start reading. You may want to read a brief introduction in your Bible...then just read, read, read the book of Hebrews (not books about Hebrews! Not yet, anyway!)

So...HAPPY, RESTFUL READING...and I'll see you later on :)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here's a link to Bible Gateway. You can read Hebrews in many different versions at his site. Just enter the passage and the version you want and...voila!

I've been enjoying Hebrews in The Voice, a new translation of the New Testament published by Thomas Nelson. For a free download and short video clips, follow this link:

http://www.nelsonfree.com/voicent

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here is a chart that will help you as you read through the book of Hebrews multiple times. Make notes in the corresponding boxes for each chapter as you go along:

Hebrews Reading Chart

For info about our study book: Hoping for Something Better, by Nancy Guthrie

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Listen to our brother Jason Nightingale recite the entire book of Hebrews. At the same time, you will also be watching on youtube :)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

July 04, 2012

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Just give me....

July 04, 2012/ Jeremy Loyd

We live in such a gimme, gimme culture. Entitlement is the name of the game!

Actually, since Adam & Eve fell and "ate the apple" in defiance of God, we are all infected with that "all about me" disease called self-centeredness! So we try to find life through all kinds of stuff!

Several years ago, my dear husband John asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told him I wanted to go to The Cove to study with one of my favorite Bible teachers Wayne Barber. It was wonderful, and I've been trying to get back there ever since.

As a result, I'm always watching the Cove schedule of Bible conferences. This fall, the title of a study in Colossians (which I had been teaching) caught my eye:

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

That's it!!!! That's the perfect title for that precious book, because THAT's the message of Colossians...and of the whole Bible, for that matter! Our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ is all we need! And the little treasure of a book we call Colossians tells us why.

So for those of you who are studying Colossians with us, why not take a brown pencil and draw a Cross over every time Jesus is mentioned (either in your Bible or on a printed out text)? You'll be amazed at how focused God is about His Son!

Then as you continue to read, focus on your all-sufficient Savior! By the end of our time this summer, may your equation (and mine) change from...

________ +________ + ____...... + Jesus = EVERYTHING? [Fill in your own blanks]

...to...

JESUS+ NOTHING = EVERYTHING!!!!!!!

Give Me Jesus

In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone, When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.

When I come to die, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, You can have all this world, You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFJGsBApIuk[/youtube]

If you have a little more time (7-1/2 minutes), listen again to the song with a wonderful gospel message included:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqYd3dXY2M8&feature=related[/youtube]

If you would like to follow a daily devotional, here's a good one from Moody Bible Institute (my Alma Mater :) ). It will take you through the book in a month if you read every day:

Today in the Word {Colossians:Live Worthy of the Gospel}

June 30, 2012

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Reading Week

June 30, 2012/ Jeremy Loyd

Devote yourself to the...reading of Scripture... 1Timothy 4:13 Let's begin our restful study of the letter to the Colossians by reading, reading, and then reading again.

Or as my almost 4 year old grandson Carter and I would say, "Reading?...reading?...how about reading?" ;)

As the prophet Jeremiah once said,

Your words were found and I ate them,And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;For I have been called by Your name,O Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

Or as my sweet friend Penny once prayed,

LORD, Your words are so delicious!

So this week, grab a journal or notebook, your Bible (maybe different versions for each day) and start reading... You may want to read a brief introduction in your Bible or watch the short 2 minute video below to get a little background...then just read, read, readthe book of Colossians (not books about Colossians! Not yet, anyway!)

So...HAPPY, RESTFUL READING...and I'll see you later in the week :)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here's a link to Bible Gateway. You can read Colossians in many different versions at his site. Just enter the passage and the version you want and...voila!

For those of you who are just beginning to get comfortable with Bible reading, try the MESSAGE version: Colossians, chapter 1

Colossians, chapter 2

Colossians, chapter 3

Colossians, chapter 4