Author | Vagabond Preacher | Lover of the Poor | Grandpa
Unless you’re fairly confident in your understanding of the basics of walking with Jesus, you should probably read “Foundations 101” (https://barneywiget.com/writings/foundations101.html) before “enrolling” in 201. In it we introduced six topics necessary for new Jesus followers to study and understand in order to be strong in their faith. The six topics that we covered in 101 were:
1. THE CROSS – (on being forgiven by God)
2. THE INNER-CHANGE – (on being changed by Jesus)
3. THE INTERACTION – (on having conversations with God)
4. THE CHURCH – (on having fellowship with other believers)
5. THE SPIRIT – (on being empowered to reach out to others)
6. THE WORD – (on being a student of the Bible)
These same themes will now be discussed here on a bit more advanced level for those who have been born again for a while. In 101 you learned how to get started as Christian; in 201 you’ll learn how to keep going. The approach taken here is still very much foundational and fundamental, but on a somewhat more mature and challenging level.
Read and digest these six biblical topics. By doing so, you’ll be “digging down deep and laying your foundation on the rock.” (Luke 6:48) The alternative, Jesus said, is to build your house “without a foundation.” He warned, “The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:49) But with your foundation deeply dug, your “house” will be sturdy and lasting. You have every reason to be a strong disciple of Jesus influencing others to be the same. I hope these chapters help you toward that end.
(A Brief Summary of the Bible's Teaching Concerning the Kingdom of God) The game was about to begin and our Coach huddled with the team for final instructions and pep talk. He stressed to us the fundamentals of holding onto the football and not turning it over to the other team. But sure enough, in …
Continue reading "THE KINGDOM OF GOD: FORETASTE TO FULFILLMENT"
In a previous chapter we talked about a set of gifts which we’re calling, “The Motivational Gifts,” listed in Romans 12. It seems that these gifts are ones that are sort of “possessed” by members of the Body of Christ. Paul indicates this by his language in describing them, “If a man’s gift is… If …
A lot of Jesus followers let someone else have all the fun of reading and studying the Bible. It’s a shame, really, mostly because it is fun, and rewarding to learn God’s book for yourself. Don’t be a sea gull! One of the coolest things about the beach is the sea life that you don’t …
Continue reading "THE WORD (How to get more out of your Bible)"
“Strange isn’t it? One man’s like touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" In the movie 'It's a Wonderful Life,' Clarence the angel said these words to George Bailey. The angel had been sent by God to keep George from committing suicide. He succeeded by showing …
Continue reading "THE CHURCH (Do you have any idea how gifted you are?)"
Let’s talk about “The Conversation” between us and the Lord. Call it prayer, devotions or quiet time (not my favorite terms). I’m partial to the term, “Conversation” since it depicts a back-and-forth, an exchange, an interchange between heaven and earth. I think praying is more of a dialogue than we probably know. It’s not just …
barney wiget 