Monthly Archives: January 2016

New Focus: Giving Thanks Always (#889)

New Focus: Giving Thanks Always (#889)

We’ll continue our series today on having a new focus in life. We’ve been working through a class I’ve taught before, the Stayed Mind and the Peace of God class, which I believe has eight main topics which we’ve been recently covering in our weekly teachings. I should note that we skipped the Secret of Radiant Living — and although it is one of my favorite topics, we covered it in July so we didn’t cover it in this series. You are more than welcome to review that materiel, it is available in the class and in our teaching in July. Today we’re onto Giving Thanks Always. I feel thankfulness is greatly under appreciated for what it has to offer in our lives. Often there is so much focus on setting goals, a vision, charging ahead, and accomplishing things. These are themes in the Bible, sports and business and these things are good, but if you don’t have some thankfulness mixed in you’re just never satisfied, you’re always worrying about the next project and you will forget to just step back and remember all the great things God has already done for you. Having a vision, settings goals, praying for others, and moving ahead are all great things, but as we are doing that, if we take some time to remember what He has already done, not only will our lives be much more peaceful and more content, but we’ll have much more confidence that God will help us with that next problem, because we’ll remember what He has already done. Let’s start in Philippians 1.
Taught by Bruce Mahone, 20160131. All rights reserved.
Verse Listing and Notes
Phil. 1:3-6          Be thankful when we pray for one another
Phil. 4:6-9          Let your own requests be made known to God with thanksgiving
Eph. 5:18-20     Giving thanks always for all things
Col. 1:12-13       Giving thanks unto the father…partakers of the inheritance of the saints
Col. 2:6,7            Abounding with thanksgiving (overflowing with gratitude)
Col. 3:15-17       Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, and be ye thankful
Col. 4:2-4            Pray with thanksgiving for a door of utterance to open
I Thes. 5:16-18   In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God
I Tim. 1:12-15     Paul called to ministry
I Tim. 2:1-6          Give thanks for all men…for all that are in authority
Phm 4-6               I thank my God, making mention of thee in my prayers
Teaching
889 – New Focus – Give Thanks Always

New Focus: Patiently Determined (#888)

New Focus: Patiently Determined (#888)
We’ll continue our series today on having a new focus in life. The last several sessions we’ve covered sections of the class I taught several years ago called the Stayed Mind and the Peace of God. So every topic in that class deals with that theme: that we want to have our minds stayed on God’s Word, so it is fixed, it is focused on God; and that leads to having the peace of God. One portion of that class that we’ll cover here today, is what I call patiently determined. Because God wants us to be very patient and yet he wants us to be very determined to move ahead with the things of God and not get discouraged, not get side-tracked, and not get upset about things. Let’s start in Psalm 37:7…
Taught by Bruce Mahone, 20160117. All rights reserved.
Verse Listing and Notes
Ps 37:7           Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him
Ps 40:1           I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry
Luke 8:15       Having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience
Luke 21:19     In your patience possess ye your souls (NASB: by your endurance you will gain your lives)
Rom 5:3-5       Knowing that tribulation worketh patience
This doesn’t mean, of course, that we have only a hope of future joys – we can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles. Taken in the right spirit these very things will give us a patient endurance; this in turn will develop a mature character, and a character of this sort produces a steady hope, a hope that will never disappoint us. (JB Phillips)
Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation (thlipsis – mental pressure), continuing instant (continuing steadfast, faithful, to persevere and not to faint, to show one’s self courageous for) in prayer
Col 1:9-11      All patience and longsuffering with joyfulness
II Thes 1:1-4  Your patience (perseverance, steadfastness) and faith
Teaching
New Focus: Patiently Determined (#888)

New Focus: Fixed Heart (#887)

New Focus: Fixed Heart (#887)
We’ll continue our series on having a new a new focus, especially now that we are in a new year.   Today we’ll take a look at the Fixed Heart.  This is a topic we’ve covered from time to time, but haven’t covered in a year or two.  So it will be good to go back and see how these verses apply today.  And it is funny how you can read a verse and have one understanding and then sometime later read it again when you’re going through something different and see even how much more it applies.  Let’s start in Deuteronomy 11.
Taught by Bruce Mahone, January 3rd, 2016.  All rights reserved.
Verses and Notes
Deut. 11:18-28            I set before you a blessing and a curse (vs. 26)
Deut. 32:44-47            Set your hearts unto all the words (vs. 46)
Ps. 1:1-3                       Meditate day & night (vs. 2 )
Ps. 108:1                      Fixed (steadfast) heart
Ps. 112:1-8a                Fixed: firm, steadfast; established: sustained, steady, upheld (vss. 7, 8)
Ps. 119:165                 Great peace have they that love thy law
Isa. 26:3-4                    Stayed on thee – steadfast (Expos. Bible Comm.), well stayed, steady (Intl. Critical Commentary)
Isa. 50:7-9                   Confounded: disgraced; set (established, fixed) like flint
Ezek. 14:1-8                Setteth up his idols in his heart (vs. 7)
Zech. 7:8-13               They made their hearts as an adamant stone (vs. 12)
I Cor. 15:51-58           Be ye steadfast, unmoveable (vs. 58)
Teaching