Saluki downtime Nov 11, 2024

Saluki downtime Nov 11, 2024

What are things that are out of your control?

What is something that has negatively impacted your life outside of your control?

Positively

We will talk about Job.

I want to talk about one of the most patient guys in the bible. I want to talk about one of the most God-honoring men of the bible. I want to talk about a guy who handled himself well while God allowed Satan himself to destroy his life.

The Book of Job in the Bible is about a wealthy and pious man named Job who endures unimaginable suffering and loss:

 

Job's life

Job is a wealthy man in the land of Uz with a large family and many flocks. He is known for being blameless, upright, and careful to avoid evil.

 

Satan's challenge

Satan challenges God in heaven, arguing that Job is only good because of God's blessings. God allows Satan to test Job by inflicting suffering on him, including the deaths of his children, livestock, and servants and the development of skin sores.

In the Bible, Job lost 1,000 head of cattle in a series of calamities that also destroyed his property and killed his children and servants: 

• Donkeys: The Sabeans stole Job's donkeys

• Oxen: The Sabeans stole Job's oxen 

• Sheep: Lightning killed Job's sheep and shepherds 

• Camels: Chaldean raiders stole Job's camels and killed his servants 

• Property: A fire destroyed Job's property 

Job was a wealthy man who owned 11,000 head of livestock, including 1,000 cattle, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, and 500 donkeys. 

Romans 8:2828 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 

Job's response

Job is devastated by his losses, but he refuses to curse God. He maintains his innocence, but struggles emotionally with what has happened to him.

Is struggling with what God allows to happen in your life a sin?

When or how does this become sinful?

 

Job's friends

Job's friends try to explain his suffering, suggesting that it must be due to guilt. Job's friends initially reacted to his suffering by showing empathy and support, but later their actions became judgmental and accusatory

 

If you see your friend struggling how would you react?

Are you someone who just let's your friend be? Are you someone who wants to ask a lot of questions? Are you someone who takes them out or are you someone who is just there to listen?

How do you let your friends help you? Could you change how you let your friends help you?

What was the end of this story?

Job had everything taken away from him and this was how he chose to end the conversation with God.

42 1-6 Job answered God: from the message.

“I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything.

    Nothing and no one can upset your plans.

You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water,

    ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’

I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me,

    made small talk about wonders way over my head.

You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking.

    Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’

I admit I once lived by rumors of you;

    now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!

I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!

    I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”

This actually convicted me.

How do you react when things don't go your way?

10-11 After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—and then doubled it! All his brothers, sisters, and friends came to his house and celebrated. They told him how sorry they were and consoled him for all the trouble God had brought him. Each of them brought generous housewarming gifts.

Do what is right and you will have no regrets.

How many of you have lost a friend for doing the right thing?

Either you will lose friends you didn't need or you will keep the ones you do need.

12-15 God blessed Job’s later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand teams of oxen, and one thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first daughter Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Darkeyes. There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job’s daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance.

How can you measure your blessings? 

Job's were through possessions in this case. But Job goes on for a different blessing.

16-17 Job lived on another 140 years, living to see his children and grandchildren—four generations of them! Then he died—an old man, a full life.

What are Blessings that you cannot be measure.

Kobe Bryant said that he tried exhausting himself in every practice he did.

Job lived this part of his life to complete exhaustion.

His family didn’t beleive in him.

His friends didn’t believe in him. 

But he trusted God that the outcome would be what God promised. Hope. 

Intentional actions, not reactional or emotional.

Saluki downtime November 4th, 2024

Esther

What events changed the course of the world, a country, or a region?

Have you done anything that changed the future for yourself or a group of people? 

Is anything coming up that might?

God is not mentioned 1 time in the book is Esther. 

This was in a Jewish town after the Babylonian Exile. Some returned to Jerusalem, and some stayed in the country away from towns, making their own towns. 

Characters - 

Mordecai - Uncle to Esther

Esther - Main character. Niece of Mordecai - Queen of Persia

King of Persia

Haman

The king decided to throw himself a huge party so everyone could look at him and praise him. This banquet lasted 187 days straight. 

On the last day, the King was drunk and he made his wife Vashti show off her beauty by coming out and showing off. She refuses to do as he commands. 

So the King got rid of her and held a beauty pageant to see who would be the next lady of the King. This did happen and Esther was there. She also hid that she was Jewish. The King really liked her and asked her to hang around and eventually Esther became his girl. 

Mordecai was there hanging out watching over his niece and overheard two guys saying they were going to kill the king. He tells Esther and Esther tells the king and Mordacai found favor to the king. 

Haman was the highest-ranking official to the king. And demands that everyone bow to him. Mordecai refuses and this makes Haman angry. So Haman made a decree to kill all the Jews. 

In 11 months on the 13th of Adar. 

So Mordacai decides that Esther needs to tell the King she is Jewish. But the courts made it illegal to talk to the king without a reason, and she did not have one. 

She made a plan anyway. 

Esther invited the King and Haman to her Banquet. 

Haman sees Mordecai in the street and realizes he wants him dead. Haman put up a steak in the street to hang him on in the morning. 

That same night, the king could not sleep, so he had someone read the royal chronicles to him. This was just what happened daily. It was boring, so he thought it would put him to sleep. While getting these read to him, he had forgotten that Mordecai had saved his life earlier. 

In the morning, Haman came to the king to get permission to hang Mordecai. The king told him no and to actually honor him. He would take him through the town and let everyone know this man saved his life. 

The next day was Esther Banquet. At the Banquet she shares with the King that she is Jewish and that Haman wants to kill her, Mordecai, and all the Jews. 

She is risking her life here because she does not have permission and Jews were not allowed to be at this banquet and he was not allowed to marry a Jew. Persian law. 

The King was drunk and ordered Haman to be hung on the stake he put up for Mordecai. Haman's death didn’t stop the decree he put into place to kill all the Jews. 

So the king made another decree, saying that on the 13th of Adar, they could defend themselves from attack and destroy anyone who came against them. 

The Jews won, and they actually won by a lot. They started with Hamans' family and those who plotted with him. 

Now there is a two-day feast to celebrate this victory called Purim. 

Mordecai was put into second command and Esther remained queen. 

Together they saved the king and saved the Jews. 

A lot of bad happened in this book. Drinking, Sex, and murder. All of these were a violation of the Torah. 

There is a moral problem in the book of Esther. 

When God is not mentioned does that mean God does not exist or that he is done? 

No God has not abandoned his promises. 

Have you had a chance to do the right thing that was against what was expected?

What decision have you made that negatively affected the people around you? Positively?

From a young age, you get to choose the people around you. From a young age, you get to influence those around you.

Your daily choices affect those around you.

As you become who you want to be, you will make decisions that affect the people around you.

Esther chose to do the right thing, even though she had to hide the truth about herself. Her decisions changed the future of the church as we know it, and she saved the Jewish nation in that area at that time.

why is this so important? She changed the future of the Christian faith.

What does this story mean for you? 

Saluki downtime October 21, 2024

Saluki downtime October 21, 2024

Mind - Body - Heart

Have you ever been in a conversation and been so serious about what you were talking about that when you got done, the other person said, "Huh?"

How frustrating is that?

What about when you need someone to talk to, and they agree, but when you talk to them, they are on their phone the whole time?

How frustrating is that?

What about when you are serving and someone complains the whole time, or at that event, the person can't stop talking about their ex?

What's not there? Why do we do this?

Mary and Martha

John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus “loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5).

 Luke 10:38-42

38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She approached him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work alone? Tell her to help me!”

41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better and will not be taken away from her.”

Verse 39 - What did Mary do?

Verse 40 - What was wrong with Martha?

1. Distracted.

2. Working too much.

3. Busy

4. Worry

5. Anxiety

How did Martha react to what Mary was doing?

Verse 41 - How did Jesus respond?

Verse 42 - How many things did Jesus say were needed now?

Mary had her body, mind, and heart in the same place at the same time. She was doing exactly what she was supposed to be doing.

Was Mary being lazy? No. She was doing what was most important.

I want to tell you about a decade of my life that I don't remember much. Between the years 18 and nearly 30, I never could get my mind, body, and heart in the same place at the same time.

I went on about 15 mission trips during this period, and my memory of these things is small. Why? I was thinking about work while I was there, or I was thinking about a girl on the trip or even back home.

I had 5 years of marriage during this time without kids. I have very little memory of those 5 years. Why? Because I was working 100 hours a week to try to make my company work. So many times, my heart and body were there, but my mind was on what I was missing at work or what my next day would look like.

The first 5 years of coopers life and the first 3 of callies life are hard to remember. Why? It wasn't because I didn't care but because I did. I couldn't get my body to be where it needed to be. I couldn't get my mind to focus on being a dad when it needed to be because I struggled with work and being a husband. Plus, church life played a part in this as well.

I was busy, and I had sin in my life. For these reasons, I could not combine the three to be who I was called to be.

When I was 30 years old, I reset my priorities.

Tell the story of Callie and Cooper being home by 9.

My financial journey. Debt-free in 6 years. About 400k in debt and another 100 in cash purchases. 

My sin life. As you mature, you should become more like Christ and sin less. 

Now, my memory of small things is great. I remember taking Vashti lunch a few months ago and mostly talking about myself. I remember taking Macey and Riley's nasty green-looking Starbucks several weeks ago. I remember taking Shane to breakfast more than once. I remember taking Leah and Trinity to Quatros and trying to out-eat Leah. I remember conversations at practice and running into people in the weight and training rooms. I remember the little things. I remember going to pumpkin patches with my too old of kids last year. I remember Callie’s play I attended on a Friday. Jakiah and Macey were there too. I remember Cooper's talent show at school because I got to choose to go. 

Mary and Martha

Martha's heart and body were in the right place, but her mind wasn't. Why wasn't her mind in the right place? She was too busy.

Mary - all three in the same place at the same time. Her body was there. Her mind was there. And her heart was in the right place at the right time.

Mind, body, and heart -

All three at the same place at the same time

Do you most identify with Martha or Mary?

What tends to distract and pull you away from Jesus? What is the result when you are distracted by a lot of serving?

How is “sitting at Jesus’s feet” viewed by the culture and world around us? How about by the Church?

What surprised you in this Bible study session?

What do you hear the Spirit saying to you?

Colossians 3:2

2 Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

Saluki downtime October 14, 2024

Saluki downtime October 14, 2024

Have you thought about what the problem is?

Maybe you are the problem?

The song

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it's me)

At tea time, everybody agrees   I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror

It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's meIt's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me

It's me, hi, everybody agrees, everybody agrees

How many of you have been told or think you are a disappointment to your parents or to someone else?

Zacchaeus

He was desperate to see Jesus.

Bible Passage – Luke 19:1-10

19 Jesus was going through the city of Jericho. 2 In Jericho, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a wealthy, very important tax collector. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was. Many others wanted to see Jesus, too. Zacchaeus was too short to see above the people. 4 So he ran to a place where he knew Jesus would come. Then he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see him.

5 When Jesus came to where Zacchaeus was, he looked up and saw him in the tree. Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, hurry! Come down! I must stay at your house today.”

6 Zacchaeus hurried and came down. He was happy to have Jesus in his house. 7 Everyone saw this. They began to complain, “Look at the kind of man Jesus is staying with. Zacchaeus is a sinner!”

8 Zacchaeus said to the Lord, “I want to do good. I will give half of my money to the poor. If I have cheated anyone, I will pay them back four times more.”

9 Jesus said, “Today is the day for this family to be saved from sin. Yes, even this tax collector is one of God’s chosen people.[a] 10 The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”

Tax collectors were despised as traitors (working for the Roman Empire, not for their Jewish community) and as being corrupt. They worked for the Roman government.

How did they make their money as tax collectors? Tax collectors were despised as traitors (working for the Roman Empire, not for their Jewish community) and as being corrupt.

I want you to think about his real life as a tax collector. How did he feel doing what he did?

What are some professions that are sketchy but aren't illegal?

Why did Zaccheus climb the tree?

There were a lot of people.

A desperate need to see Jesus.

If there weren't many people there, and if there wasn't much going on, would Zacheaus need to climb the tree to see Jesus?

5 When Jesus came to where Zacchaeus was, he looked up and saw him in the tree. Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, hurry! Come down! I must stay at your house today.”

6 Zacchaeus hurried and came down. He was happy to have Jesus in his house. 7 Everyone saw this. They began to complain, “Look at the kind of man Jesus is staying with. Zacchaeus is a sinner!”

Did Jesus care about who Zacchaeus was?

Did Jesus care about how busy it was around him?

Did Jesus have time for Zacchaeus?

Jesus wanted to put aside everything that kept Zaccheaus from genuinely being who he was called to be.

Jesus didn't care about Zacchaeus' past.

What happened due to this interaction between Zacchaeus and Jesus?

8 Zacchaeus said to the Lord, “I want to do good. I will give half of my 

money to the poor. If I have cheated anyone, I will pay them back four times more.”

9 Jesus said, “Today is the day for this family to be saved from sin. Yes, even this tax collector is one of God’s chosen people.[a] 10 The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”

How many of you believe everyone knows when they do something wrong?

Where does that come from?

Zacchaeus was this man. He had heard the stories of this Jesus guy. So when he heard he was coming to town, he wanted to make sure he got to see him. Just a glimpse of this guy was enough for him.

Jesus had other plans.

Jesus wanted to make sure this guy knew God called him and loved him so much that he wanted to spend time with him in his home.

You are the same. You are not the problem. God loves you—so much so that Jesus is here for you—right now. All you have to do is trust in him.

Trust the time of your life.

Trust that Jesus is your hope.

Trust that God forgives you.

Trust that you are good enough.

Trust that God loves you.

I trust in Jesus - what now

God Loves You

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”.

ohn 11:26 that “everyone who lives and believes in [him] shall never die.”

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16

1 John 5:13
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.