O how the wind blows in the open parking lot. When I say "pa-rk-ing l-o-t' I don't mean soup. Although you probably knew that. - http://piemerica.org/pfp/stories/muffin.html

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• Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
  When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
  Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
  Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.  -John 6:1-13
• "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"  -John 6:9
  • Vision- To God small can be made much
• So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.  -John 6:13
  • 12 baskets for 12 disciples to spread the bread
    • Jesus is the bread of life
    • Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry"  -John 6:35
    • God's word is infinite, what better to devote ourselves to than living water that never runs dry & bread of life that doesn't run out.
• Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.  -2 Timothy 2:16
• Satan twisted scripture against Jesus. He still does so today to us with false teaching.
• Do we really have free time if Jesus has bought us?
• Our only responsibility is to love God all the time.
  • You'll love others when God wants you to love them if you're loving God

• In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  -John 1:1-5
• He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  -Colossians 1:15-18
• In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  -Hebrews 1:1-2
• to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ  -Ephesians 3:9
• We say we give our lives to Christ but Christ is the one who gives us His life to replace our life.

• The Proper Perception of Learning God's Word
  • Today's mindset of learning is to get knowledge or retain knowledge. Learners usually think of themselves as containers with space to be filled by information a teacher or book possesses - the from "jug to mug model." Learners look to be filled with "truth" that may or may not later make some difference to their own life. The learners' goal is to information into themselves. And our most common method of testing if someone has learned something is by written tests to see if the information can be reproduced in language or words rather than how the information actually affects their lives.
  • In Jesus' time the goal of a teacher wasn't to impart information, but to impact the life of the hearer, leaving a lasting impression without the benefit of notes or recorders. Whatever didn't make a difference in the hearer's life simply didn't make a difference. We automatically remember what makes a real difference in our life.
  • Knowledge of the word of God shouldn't be held as trivial knowledge which in no way relates to our 'real' day to day lives but being about God and who He is and what He has said in order for us to grow in love in our relationship with Him.
  • This is the difference between what is often called "head knowledge" and "heart knowledge"
    Head knowledge is information that doesn't make a change in our life except that it is just more information. With just head knowledge a person can easily become prideful and argumentative.
    Heart knowledge changes the character and a change in character effects everyday life.
  • We must not look at knowledge concerning God as trivial or a static list of memorization. Memorization can be good but knowledge for the sake of knowledge gets you nowhere. Knowledge for the sake of knowing a living God and to grow in a relationship with Him that knowledge can take you anywhere.
  • Jesus says in John 6:63, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
    • This is a proper perception of learning God's word
    • The Holy Spirit gives life & illumination.
    • The flesh is no help at all. Our flesh doesn't want to change for the better.
      • Paul says in Philippians 2:13, "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
    • God's word is life
      • Jesus says in Matthew 4:4, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
  • God is not going to hand a written test to us when we get to heaven and say, "Here you go, you pass this test and you get in." No, God wants us to know Him before we get there.
  • Jesus is the Word of God
    • Revelation 19:13 says, "He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."
    • Jesus says in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
    • If our perception of God's word and learning it is less than this, seeing it as the way, the truth, and the life our perception is wrong
  • The Bible should not be treated as a book to learn but rather as a God to know.
• The Proper Purpose of Learning God's Word
  • As discussed the proper perception of learning God's Word concerns a change of heart and not a simple addition to the mind.
    • God wants to change our heart, our character, our day to day life not by changing what we do on the outside but by changing who we are on the inside.
    • Jesus prays to the Father concerning His disciples in John 17:17, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."
    • God's word sanctifies us. It changes who we are instead of just what we do.
    • A Proper Purpose of Learning God's Word is to become more like Christ
  • Our modern purposes of learning are almost purely selfish. We look for a blessing or a benefit and if we find one it stops & stays with us.
    • Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
    • Teaching, rebuking, & correcting.. none of those can apply to a single person.
    • You can't teach yourself but you can learn. You can't rebuke yourself but you can confess your sins. You can't correct yourself because in one's self there is no basis for correction.
    • So God wants us to not just learn His word for ourselves but for the sake of others as well?
    • Let's see what Paul says to Timothy right after what we just read.
    • I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
    • God wants us to share His word so that others may not only come to know Him but come to know Him better
    • How much value do we have in what we know if we do not share it?
    • God wants us to teach not for someone to simply learn information but to learn to love God more and more.
      
  • There are countless other more specific purposes for learning God's word so I'm just going to summarize.
    • Learning and knowing God's Word is for character building which is increasing in Christ likeness, spreading the gospel, & teaching others God's truths.
• The Proper Practice of Learning God's Word
  • First I must point out that Christianity is not about a practice to perfect but rather a perfecting person who is God.
    • It isn't about do, it is about who. Not about what we do but about what God has done, is doing, and will do.
    • No practice, curriculum, or method can be of any worth without the work of the Holy Spirit
    • The Bible is unique in that it is essential to know the author in order to understand it.
  • One Proper Practice of Learning God's Word is putting it into your heart.
    • Psalm 119:11 says, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
    • Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
    • Deuteronomy 6:4-6 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart."
  • Another Proper Practice of Learning God's Word is putting it into practice.
    • James 1:22 says, "be doers of the word, and not hearers only"
    • Romans 2:13, "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified."
    • Jesus said in Luke 11:28, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"
      
    • Paul said in Philippians 4:9, "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice."
    • Being doers of the Word is obeying it. To obey God is to love God.
    • God doesn't want us to have what He called "the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees' They knew about God in their head but their hearts were far from Him.
        They tried to obey the law for the sake of obeying the law and impressing men rather than obeying the law because of their love for God
      

Already got the word I made up two days ago for my "How well do you know me?" quiz onto Urban Dictionary. Now give it the ole thumbsuparooney please