e-pistle2equippers Oct. 12, 2001
Posted by: ccfmo <ccfmo@...>
Weekly ministry letter (successor to "The Whetstone") from Christian Civic Foundation
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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President October 12, 2001
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In this Issue:
Sermon - Matthew 13:33
Bible Study - "Noah Found Grace in God's Eyes (Genesis 6:1-18)
Depression
Biblical Counseling
Somethin' from the Oven
When my wife and I put our home up for sale a few years ago, the real estate agent advised us to bake bread. Apparently, the aroma of fresh baked bread permeating the place is a plus when prospective buyers come to view the house. I suppose the homey scent helps trigger the impulse to "sign on the dotted line." Maybe that advertising slogan is right: "Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven, and Pillsbury says it best!"
As ministers of the word, we are well advised to serve up hot, fresh-baked bread to our congregations. My text focuses our thoughts on "Somethin' from the Oven." Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all the way through the dough" (Matthew 13:33.)
RECIPE FOR BREAD
Bread, often called "the staff of life," can be made of wheat, rye, oats, or corn. It can be made even tastier by adding nuts, raisins, cinnamon, or icing. The basics of a bread recipe are few and simple: flour (ground grain), water, and yeast.
Just mix these ingredients together to produce dough and wait for it to rise. Then pop it into a hot oven, and bake it until your mouth waters.
So it is with the Bread of Life which we preachers prepare and serve to hungry people. The flour is the Word of God. The water is our liquid prayer . . . tears shed as we prepare to preach. The yeast represents the leavening power of the Holy Spirit.
These elements produce the "dough" that rises as we allow time for the process. The oven is our heart and mind, and the heat is the presence of God warming the ingredients with inspiration and revelation.
BAKING THE BREAD
Although we refer to Isaiah 61 as Jesus' first sermon text (Luke 4:18ff), it is not. Before He spoke in the synagogue, the Lord preached to the Devil in Luke 4:4, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'" (Deuteronomy 8:3.)
Only one miracle of Jesus is recorded in all four gospels: the feeding of the 5,000. In John 6, that miracle is connected with Jesus' claim to be the "Bread of Life" (v. 35.) Just as Jesus instructed His disciples when confronted with a hungry multitude, " You give them something to eat," He comands us to feed our hungry people.
Note the parable in Matthew 24:45-47 that refers to a faithful, wise servant. The servant is blessed because he gives the household food at the right time.
But before meal time . . . before dinner is served . . . food must be prepared. And that takes time and effort. Pastors, please note! The apostles gave themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). It wasn't the main thing; it was the only thing! Continually means unceasingly, without interruption. Impractical and impossible? Not if the church has enough "deacon-servants" doing other ministry tasks.
SERVING HOT BREAD
The woman in the text (Matthew 13:33) could represent a pastor-teacher, whose role is to bake and serve the hot, fresh bread. The minister's most foundational task is to mix the flour from many crushed, ground grains of truth with salty tears of intercessory prayer and the living, moving yeast-like activity of the Holy Spirit to form the dough. That's sermon preparation, and it takes time and effort to form God's message into a worthy loaf of bread.
This loaf is Christ's body in the world (John 6) . . . spiritual food for starving souls. Just as Christians are to be "poured out wine," we also are to be "broken bread" (See Philippians 2:17 and II Timothy 4:6,7).
WHAT KIND OF BREAD IS SERVED?
1. Moldy Bread - contaminated corrupted, harmful, dangerous. Sometimes the bread
served contains impurities, even posionous substances.
2. Stale Bread - old, tasteless, unattractive, unappetizing. Sometimes the bread served
is last month's left-overs, or last year's. Sometimes almost inedible bread is dragged
out of the pantry and served cold on Sunday morning.
3. Half-baked Bread - like Hosea 7:4-8, sometimes the bread served is under-done . . .
half-baked . . . needing more time in the oven of God's presence.
4. Fresh Bread - probably most often the bread served is safe to eat, bland but nourishing
. . . sort of like the slices used to make a cheese sandwich. It's okay, but nothing to
write home about!
5. Hot Bread - not too often, but occasionally, the bread served is "somethin' from the oven!"
It smells delicious; it's warm and tasty; it makes a person's mouth water! Once you've
tasted hot bread, there's no mistaking it for any other bread.
What made Jesus' teachings and sermons so unforgettable and dynamic? They were hot from the oven! He spoke with authority (Matthew 7:29), not with a second-hand revelation which quoted ancient authorities. Jesus commended Peter's great confession (Matthew 16:17) because he received the truth directly from the Father, not from other men.
What do we rely upon in our bread baking? Commentaries? Others' sermons? Computerized
concordances? These may help occasionally, but should we not rely directly upon the Source of the
Word, the Holy Spirit? See I John 2: 20, 27.
CHRISTIANS ARE BREAD
When I was a boy, one of the favorite gospel songs was "Bringing in the Sheaves." That song speaks of the field of lost persons needing to be harvested. Too often, however, we've been content to bring in the sheaves and to fill the grain elevator (the church) with bountiful harvest.
Grain in the bin does not accomplish its purpose on earth. In addition to plowing the fields, sowing the seeds, and harvesting the grain, we need to see ourselves as millers and bakers . . . grinding the grain into flour and baking the flour into bread to feed the starving multiudes.
Noah Found Grace in God's Eyes
(Genesis 6:1-18)
I. Concentration: on the man Noah, whose name means "Comfort" or "Rest"
1. He found grace (God's unmerited gift or favor) in God's eyes, v. 8.
2. He was just . . . fair, true, and honest, v. 9.
3. He was perfect . . . blameless, having maturity and integrity, v. 9.
4. He, like his great-grandfather Enoch, walked with God, v.9.
II. Meditation: on the sinful world in which Noah lived
1. Satanism. "Nephilim" translated "Sons of God" refers to the fallen,
dark angels of Satan, who cohabited with humans, v.2.
2. Wickedness. People had "twisted" (a related root word) good into
evil and vice versa . . . were addicted to depravity, not discerning
right from wrong, v. 5.
3. Total corruption of society. "Every intent . . . only evil continually
. . . all flesh had corrupted their way," vv. 5,12.
4. Full of violence. Noah's day was notorious for its curelty and
disregard for human life, v. 12.
III. Revelation: on God's spoken words to Noah
1. "My Spirit shall not strive (struggle; contend) with man forever
. . . yet his days shall be one hundred twenty years," v. 3.
At the flood, God reduced the life span of humans from about 900
years to a maximum of 120 years.
2. "I will destroy them (the Satanic, wicked, corrupt, violent persons)
with the earth," v. 13. This cleansing of the earth by water would
destroy the half-human, half-demon giant monsters which intimidated
the people of that era, v. 4.
3. "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood . . . I am bringing floodwaters
. . . everything that is on the earth shall die," vv. 14, 17.
4. "I will establish My covenant with you," (and your family), v. 18.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Live a just, perfect life of integrity by receiving God's grace and
by walking daily with Him.
2. Keep my life pure and blameless in the midst of a Satanic, wicked, corrupt,
violent . . . crooked and perverse generation, Phillipians 2:15-16.
3. Hear and faithfully proclaim God's coming judgment, regardless of the
small number of persons who heed my warning over a period of up to
100 years, Genesis 5:32 and Genesis 7:6 . . . for indeed, these are "the days
of Noah" which Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24: 37-39.
4. Obey God's instructions in order to receive His deliverance . . . His way of escape;
His "ark of safety," Jesus Christ . . . Who saves us from pending doom, Hebrews 11:7.
"Depression"
By Dr. Bruce Morrison
It seems depression is at an epidemic level today and the Christian community is certainly not immune. Depression is a complex topic. I can only "whet your appetite" in these few lines.
There are many schools of thought regarding the genesis of depression. Psycholanalytic theory asserts that depression is rooted in childhood experiences "repressed" or locked away in our subconscious. Our response to life today is predicated on our childhood experiences. Genetic theory asserts that depression is inherited, just as blond hair and blue eyes are inherited. Cognitive theory maintains that depression is the result of faulty information.
Children learn early in life that one solution to problems is to become depressed. They do not see or recognize other solutions to problems, so as adults they invoke depression as the solution to the problem.
Other factors may play a major role in depression. One's physical or biochemical uniqueness can contribute to their depression. Symptoms caused by these factors resemble depression, causing a person to believe they are depressed. One example for a woman would be a condition commonly known today as PMS. Another would be the effects of a dysfunctual thyroid gland.
Empirical studies have linked stress to depression. Stress "triggers" a chemical reaction leading to altered moods or attitudes.
Dr. Grace Ketterman's (1988) theory is very useful for pastoral counselors. She posits " . . . a group of influences intermingle to create the painful and complex entity of depression" (p. 16). She believes genetic predisposition, family practices and beliefs, the impact of social and emotional environments, and stressors all combine to create depression.
Several "life experiences" have the potential of producing depression. Some of the more common ones include loss (of a loved one, a job, a meaningful relationship, etc.), anger turned inward, adjustment reactions, false guilt, wrong perspectives, attacks by Satan, and wrong priorities.
In "Happiness is a Choice," Dr. Frank Minirth and Dr. Paul Meier state that the three basic needs of all
humans are 1) self-worth, 2) intimacy with others, and 3) intimacy with God. They identify seven basic
guidelines from these needs. Also, they discuss the proper way of dealing with anger and anxiety will
go a long way to help an individual create a state of happiness rather than a state of depression.
For a more indepth study of depression, read "Depression Hits Every Family" by G. Ketterman (Nelson Publishers) and "Happiness Is A Choice" by F. Minirth and P. Meier (Baker Book House Publishers, 1978).
Professional Biblical Counseling Training Offered
by Christian Civic Foundation
Christian Civic Foundation's Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity has entered into a licensed agreement with the American Association of Christian Counselors to offer professional training in Biblical Counseling to ministers in Missouri, and surrounding states, according to Dr. Curt Scarborough, president of CCF. Students will receive 30 engaging videotaped lectures featuring some of the best Christian counseling Bible teachers in the world, complete with course lectures, outlines, study notes, and examinations.
CCF's agreement with AACC allows a student enrolled in the Pillsbury Institute to receive the entire course of study, including a one-year membership in AACC, for the low tuition cost of only $300. The usual price for this program is $750 plus $89 for AACC membership. For PIAC students only, that's a saving of $614!
Here's how the CCF-AACC agreement works
1. Call CCF today at 1-314-739-1121 to enroll in the Pillsbury Institute of Applied
Christianity, and to qualify for the $614 scholarhip offered by AACC.
2. The official registration form to enroll in the CCF's Pillsbury Institute of
Applied Christianity and AACC's Center for Biblical Counseling program
is included on this page.
3. Fill out the registration form and mail a $300 check made out to Christian
Civic Foundation :
PIAC Enrollment Fee $ 65
AACC Tuition Fee 225
Shipping & handling 10
Total amount $300
4. CCF will forward your tuition to AACC, certifying that you are a student
in PIAC and thereby qualified to receive the $614 scholarship.
5. AACC will send you all the videotapes, course lectures, outlines,
workbooks, and examinations.
6. Complete all the work required by AACC's Center for Biblical Counseling
and receive their Certificate in Biblical Counseling.
7. Send a copy of the Certificate from AACC along with your completed
notebooks and examinations to CCF to receive 15 credit hours at PIAC.
The Curriculum
I. Introduction to Biblical Counseling
Becoming a Biblical Counselor
Using Your Spiritual Gifts in Counseling
Helping Others Find Significance in Life
The Power of Truth
Overcoming Depression
Surviving Sexual Abuse: On The Threshold of Hope
II. Faith and Life
The Effective Helper
Bringing People into God's Presence
How to Help People Change
Heart Matters: Repentance and Godly Sorrow
Forgiveness: Letting Go of the Past and Pain
Freedom in Christ: Life in Abba's Arms
III. Marriage and Family
Marriage: Keeping The Love Alive
Guilt: Love's Unseen Enemy
Great Sex: A Biblical Persepective
Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling
Divorce Recovery: Starting Over Again
Caught in the Middle: Children and Divorce
IV. Challenging Issues in Biblical Counseling
What Would Jesus Think and Do?:
Understanding the Way of Christ
Ethical & Legal Issues
Family Systems: Breaking Unhealthy Patterns
Sexual Issues: Affairs, Homosexuality, Intimacy
Roadblocks, Dysfunctions
Pain & Suffering: Helping People in a Hurting World
Breaking the Bonds of Sexual Addiction
V. Emerging Issues in Biblical Counseling
Managing Stress & Anxiety
Grief and Loss
Psychiatric Care and Medication
The Helper's Chair: Special Skills and Practice
Financial Bondage: Strategies for Freedom
Anger Management
Mail registration and check to:
Christian Civic Foundation
3426 Bridgeland Drive
Bridgeton, MO 63044
Phone: 314-739-1121
Fax: 314-739-0848
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The Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity
(owned, controlled, and operated by the Christian Civic Foundation)
under a licensed agreement with
The Center for Biblical Counseling
(a program of the American Association of Christian Counselors)
Registration Form
Name_____________________________________________Social Security Number___________________________
Street Address______________________________________________________Date of Birth____________________
City___________________________________________________________State______Zip_______________________
Email address_______________________________________Church Affiliation________________________________
Biblical Counseling Degree Sought: ___Associate ___Bachelor ___Masters ___Doctorate
Church or Ministry Now Serving__________________________________________Position______________________