Quote from Forum Archives on November 19, 2003, 6:19 pm

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E-pistle

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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation November 21, 2003

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This fourth quarter of 2003, I shall be sharing with you my "Personal & Practical" notes and applications
on two important books in the Bible. From the Old Testament, we'll be studying all 14 chapters of
Hosea, and from the New Testament, we'll be studying all 13 chapters of II Corinthians.
In This Issue:
Hosea 8:1-14
II Corinthians 8:1-24
Spiritual Mentoring
Sow the Wind: Reap the Whirlwind!
(Hosea 8:1-14)
I. Concentration: on the key verse of this chapter (v. 7)
"They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind," Hosea 8:7.
II. Meditation: on the Ten Commandments and America's "reaping the whirlwind"
1. The United States has sown the wind of godlessness (anti-Christianity); we are reaping the
whirlwind of practical atheism.
2. We have sown the wind of idolizing athletes, musicians, and actors; we are reaping the
whirlwind of selfishness and disappointment.
3. We have sown the wind of profanity; we are reaping the whirlwind of accepting gross vulgarity
as normal speech.
4. We have sown the wind of failing to reserve one day a week for worship and rest; we are reaping
the whirlwind of spiritual emptiness and physical deterioration (heart disease, cancer, etc.)
5. We have sown the wind of disrespect for parents, elders, and other authority figures; we are
reaping the whirlwind of anarchy in our homes, schools, and cities.
6. We have sown the wind of devaluation of human life by condoning violent movies and bloody video
games; we are reaping the whirlwind of assaults on the streets, random shootings in schools, and
serial killings . . . not to mention abortion, euthanasia, and suicide.
7. We have sown the wind of adultery and homosexuality; we are reaping the whirlwind of unwed
mothers, venereal diseases and AIDS, widespread divorce, and the dehumanizing effects
of rampant immorality.
8. We have sown the wind of dishonesty and cheating; we are reaping the whirlwind of robberies,
embezzlements, gambling addictions, and thousands of frivolous lawsuits based entirely upon
human greed.
9. We have sown the wind of lying and deceitfulness; we are reaping the whirlwind of cynicism,
distrust, hopelessness, and dishonor.
10.We have sown the wind of covetousness; we are reaping the whirlwind of credit card debt,
bankruptcy, and the enthronement of materialism.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual principles of sowing and reaping
1. Persons always reap WHAT they sow, Job 4:8; Galatians 6:7.
2. Persons always reap MORE THAN they sow, II Corinthians 9:6.
3. Persons who sow INIQUITY, reap SORROW, Proverbs 22:8.
4. Persons who sow RIGHTEOUSNESS, reap MERCY, Hosea 10:12.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Sow the good seed of the truth of God's word, Mark 4:14.
2. Sow to the Spirit (in the spiritual realm), Galatians 6:8.
3. Sow in tears ((weeping in intercessory prayer), Psalm 126:5.
4. Sow in faith and hope (expecting to reap a good harvest), Psalm 126:6.

The Grace of Generosity
(II Corinthians 8:1-24)

I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Paul commended the sacrificial generosity of the believers in
the churches of Macedonia, vv. 1-5.
2. Paul urged Titus to encourage the Corinthian Christians to abound
in the grace of giving also, vv. 6-7.
3. Paul cited the sacrificial giving of Jesus Christ as a pattern for giving
by the believers, vv. 8-15.
4. Paul arranged for a collection to be received from the Gentile Christians
to help relieve the poverty of the saints in Jerusalem, vv. 16-24.

II. Meditation: on Paul's commendation of the Macedonians
1. They first gave themselves to the Lord, v. 5.
2. They gave with a voluntary, free-hearted, generous willingness, vv. 3-4.
3. They gave as much as they were able, v. 3.
4. They gave even beyond their ability, v. 3.

III. Observations: on Paul's partial listing of spiritual graces (vv. 6-7)
1. FAITH
2. SPEECH
3. KNOWLEDGE
4. DILIGENCE
5. LOVE
6. GIVING

IV. Revelation: on the spiritual principles of giving
1. Sacrificial giving is the will of God, v. 5.
2. Giving reveals a Christian's degree of sincerity and love, v. 8.
3. Giving follows the example of Christ, who gave His all, v. 9.
4. Pledges that a believer makes must be fulfilled, vv. 10-11.

V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. See "GIVING" as a grace on a par with "FAITH" and "LOVE," vv. 6-7.
2. Cultivate a "willing mind" in the realm of stewardship of my
possessions, v. 12.
("God loves a CHEERFUL giver," II Corinthians 9:7.)
3. Understand that God does not judge how much I give in comparison
to someone else's gift; rather, He judges how much I give in
comparison to how much I could have given, v. 12.
4. Perceive that God desires equal sacrifice, not equal gifts; and that
if His people will be faithful in their giving, all of God's ministries
will be adequately funded, vv. 13-14.

Spiritual Mentoring by Private Tutoring

Dr. Curt Scarborough, president and founder of Pillsbury Institute, is available to mentor a limited number of mid-career Christian ministers on a one-on-one basis. He will personally tutor mature graduate-level students one day per month . . . any day of the week except Sunday.

Here's how this Spiritual Mentoring program works:
1. A minister enrolls in the Spiritual Mentoring track, agreeing to
spend a minimum of 10 hours a week in disciplined private
devotions under the guidance of Dr. Curt Scarborough.
2. The goal is to develop personal and practical notes on selected
portions of Scripture within one year (on all 260 chapters in the
New Testament, for example). The mentoring partner will write
on at least five chapters each week, focusing on a few chosen
verses in each chapter and using a suggested simple outline:
(1) Concentration
(2) Meditation
(3) Revelation
(4) Applications
3. Every four to six weeks, the mentoring partner will meet with Dr.
Scarborough personally (or by telephone or computer) to review
the work, to compare spiritual insights, to discuss revealed truths,
and to sharpen each other's ministry skills. (See Romans 1:11-12).
At each monthly meeting, the previous month's work will be
reviewed and discussed, new assignments made, and the next
appointment will be scheduled.
4. At the end of one year, the mentoring partner in this example
would have produced a 260 page personal and practical devotional
commentary on the entire New Testament . . . to use in his preaching
and teaching, to publish as a book, to preserve and pass along to his
family, and to serve as a resource for mentoring others.

Degrees Available at Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity

Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Studies
Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Counseling

Bachelor of Applied Christianity in Biblical Studies
Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Counseling

Master of Ministry in Spiritual Mentoring
Master of Arts in Christian Counseling Psychology

Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Mentoring
Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Counseling Psychology
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Christian Counseling

For more information visit our web site at
www.pillsburyinstitute.org
or call Dr. Scarborough toll-free at
1-888-737-3392

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Alexander Woollcott, from Long, Long Ago
"There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day."
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