Comments on: Deeper Week One http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/ Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:23:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Elaine Shannon http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/comment-page-1/#comment-2942 Elaine Shannon Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:08:48 +0000 http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/#comment-2942 It is hard to imagine God seeing me as blameless. The upcoming verses contain the hardest concept for me to wrap my mind around though. I believe that God is totally soverign, but if he chose some and not others based totally on his mercy it just doesn't seem fair to those who were not chosen. Why did he choose to bless Jacob but not Esau? Why did he choose me and not the woman in Africa dying from AIDS who maybe has never heard the gospel? Why do I live in such comfort while other women are enslaved by human traffickers? Yet, if we have a choice in the matter that seems to say that man has the power to override God and I know he is more powerful. Or it says that our actions have something to do with our salvation. If I think about it too much, I get a headache from my thoughts going in circles. There has to be a line that is the balancing point. I always come to the conclusion that my mind will never understand it this side of heaven and just accept that God is in control and He knows the answer. Elaine It is hard to imagine God seeing me as blameless. The upcoming verses contain the hardest concept for me to wrap my mind around though. I believe that God is totally soverign, but if he chose some and not others based totally on his mercy it just doesn’t seem fair to those who were not chosen. Why did he choose to bless Jacob but not Esau? Why did he choose me and not the woman in Africa dying from AIDS who maybe has never heard the gospel? Why do I live in such comfort while other women are enslaved by human traffickers? Yet, if we have a choice in the matter that seems to say that man has the power to override God and I know he is more powerful. Or it says that our actions have something to do with our salvation. If I think about it too much, I get a headache from my thoughts going in circles. There has to be a line that is the balancing point. I always come to the conclusion that my mind will never understand it this side of heaven and just accept that God is in control and He knows the answer.

Elaine

]]> By: Mike Rivera http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/comment-page-1/#comment-2941 Mike Rivera Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:09:34 +0000 http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/#comment-2941 Thoughts on vs. 4. My brain goes numb when I wonder just how far before the foundations of the earth was it when God had a thought about me. Can He have a new thought? If God had a new thought would he still be God? So, I'm thinking that God has always thought about me. He has for an eternity considered me an object of His affection. A trophy of His grace. His adopted child. Can't think much more than to humbly thank and praise Him for His glorious grace....still pondering... Thoughts on vs. 4. My brain goes numb when I wonder just how far before the foundations of the earth was it when God had a thought about me. Can He have a new thought? If God had a new thought would he still be God? So, I’m thinking that God has always thought about me. He has for an eternity considered me an object of His affection. A trophy of His grace. His adopted child. Can’t think much more than to humbly thank and praise Him for His glorious grace….still pondering…

]]> By: Terri McLaughlin http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/comment-page-1/#comment-2940 Terri McLaughlin Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:21:33 +0000 http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/#comment-2940 I was reading verse 4, "For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blaimless in his sight," and the note in my bible says that God looks at us as if we had never sinned. In some respects it is hard to wrap my mind around this, but mostly it causes me to want to thank Him for this amazing blessing. That is certainly a blessing I can not receive from anyone else. Thank-you so much for challenging us to go deeper, Terri McLaughlin I was reading verse 4, “For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blaimless in his sight,” and the note in my bible says that God looks at us as if we had never sinned. In some respects it is hard to wrap my mind around this, but mostly it causes me to want to thank Him for this amazing blessing. That is certainly a blessing I can not receive from anyone else.

Thank-you so much for challenging us to go deeper,
Terri McLaughlin

]]> By: Elaine Shannon http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/comment-page-1/#comment-2939 Elaine Shannon Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:35:43 +0000 http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/#comment-2939 When I checked to see what the meaning of "apostle" was, I found that there were some "tests" to be an apostle: He would have had to have seen the Lord, been called to the office by Christ, been infallibly inspired, and had the power of working miracles. I think the two that most qualified him to write a book of the Bible were that he had been called and sent by God and his infallible inspiration. When he stated that he was an apostle "by God's will", he emphasized that he was an apostle because God had called him and because of God's mercy not because of anything that he had done. Thanks for the opportunity to dig deeper! Elaine When I checked to see what the meaning of “apostle” was, I found that there were some “tests” to be an apostle: He would have had to have seen the Lord, been called to the office by Christ, been infallibly inspired, and had the power of working miracles. I think the two that most qualified him to write a book of the Bible were that he had been called and sent by God and his infallible inspiration. When he stated that he was an apostle “by God’s will”, he emphasized that he was an apostle because God had called him and because of God’s mercy not because of anything that he had done.

Thanks for the opportunity to dig deeper!
Elaine

]]> By: Bob and Ginny Budacki http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/comment-page-1/#comment-2938 Bob and Ginny Budacki Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:10:34 +0000 http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/#comment-2938 Pastor Greg Huguley, As old as Ginny and I are we still feel like we're in the "Jesus 101" class. We have so much to learn and understand about our Lord, Jesus Christ. Thank's to you and your messages we're learning and growing in Christ. We thank you for being our Pastor and for teachig us. Ginny and Bob Pastor Greg Huguley,

As old as Ginny and I are we still feel like we’re in the “Jesus 101″ class. We have so much to learn and understand
about our Lord, Jesus Christ. Thank’s to you and your messages we’re learning and growing in Christ.
We thank you for being our Pastor and for teachig us.

Ginny and Bob

]]> By: Jim Didier http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/comment-page-1/#comment-2937 Jim Didier Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:51:23 +0000 http://fbcelgin.com/2010/02/deeper-week-one/#comment-2937 Except for Paul's letter to the Romans, Ephesians lays out the basic theology he built from his studies prior to his conversion - placing salvation in the cradle of the leviticus traditions. So, theologians through the centuries have followed Paul down his "road" - keeping the cross of Christ central (and essential} as the sacrifice for our sins. Basic stuff! Lots of good expository preaching in these passages. Keep it up, Greg. And thanks for sprinkling humor into your Sunday delivery, as it keeps us awake and alert, and affords the opportunity for an audible chuckle now and then, which has utility, in itself, for nudging our pew companions to keep eyes up front and focused. I enjoyed following you in my Greek New Testament (mostly to make sure you are faithful to the text). Oops. Couldn't help noticing you sported a black "preaching' collar" Sunday morning. Looked like it was attached to a "dickie?" What's next? a robe? Heavens!! Your friendly critic, Jim Didier Except for Paul’s letter to the Romans, Ephesians lays out the basic theology he built from his studies prior to his conversion – placing salvation in the cradle of the leviticus traditions. So, theologians through the centuries have followed Paul down his “road” – keeping the cross of Christ central (and essential} as the sacrifice for our sins. Basic stuff!

Lots of good expository preaching in these passages. Keep it up, Greg. And thanks for sprinkling humor into your Sunday delivery, as it keeps us awake and alert, and affords the opportunity for an audible chuckle now and then, which has utility, in itself, for nudging our pew companions to keep eyes up front and focused. I enjoyed following you in my Greek New Testament (mostly to make sure you are faithful to the text).

Oops. Couldn’t help noticing you sported a black “preaching’ collar” Sunday morning. Looked like it was attached to a “dickie?” What’s next? a robe? Heavens!!

Your friendly critic, Jim Didier

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