The Five Levels of Discipleship

NLT N.T. CHRONOLOGICAL READING PLAN (SEPT-OCT)

SEPTEMBER  September 24 Mark 1:1a, Luke 1:1-4, John 1:1-18, Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23b-38, Luke 1:5-38  September 25 Luke 1:39-80, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-40  September 26 Matthew 2:1-23, Luke 2:41-52, Mark 1:1b-8, Matthew 3:1-12, Luke 3:1-18, Mark 1:9-11, Matthew 3:13-17, Luke 3:21-22  September 27 Mark 1:12-13, Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-15, John 1:19–2:25  September 28 John 3:1–4:45, Luke 3:19-20  September 29 Mark 1:14-15, Matthew 4:12-17, Luke 3:23a, John 4:46-54, Luke 4:16-30, Mark 1:16-20, Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37, Mark 1:29-34, Matthew 8:14-17, Luke 4:38-41, Mark 1:35-39, Luke 4:42-44, Matthew 4:23-25  September 30 Luke 5:1-11, Mark 1:40-45, Matthew 8:1-4, Luke 5:12-16, Mark 2:1-12, Matthew 9:1-8, Luke 5:17-26, Mark 2:13-17, Matthew 9:9-13, Luke 5:27-32, Mark 2:18-22, Matthew 9:14-17, Luke 5:33-39 October  October 1 John 5:1-47, Mark 2:23-28, Matthew 12:1-8, Luke 6:1-5, Mark 3:...

THINGS TO ADD TO OUR FAITH

In Second Peter 1:5-9, Peter addresses his readers who are already believers and encourages them to add certain virtues to their faith. These virtues serve as important steps in their spiritual growth and development. Let's look at each step in more detail: (1) Add goodness to faith (1:5): Peter emphasizes that true faith goes beyond mere intellectual belief or affirmation. It should be accompanied by genuine goodness, which involves transparent trust and ready obedience. This means that believers should actively pursue acts of kindness and righteousness, rather than being passive in their faith. (2) Add knowledge to goodness (1:5): While some knowledge is necessary for faith, Peter urges believers to go beyond the basics. He encourages them to deepen their understanding of God's Word and His ways. A growing knowledge of God's truth is stabilizing and motivating, equipping believers to live in accordance with His will. (3) Add self-control to knowledge (1:6): Knowledge a...

NOTES ON ROMANS 6 – JOHN STOTT

NOTES ON ROMANS 6 – JOHN STOTT United to Christ and enslaved to God (6:1–23) The apostle has been painting an idyllic picture of the people of God. Having been justified by faith, they are standing in grace and rejoicing in glory. Having formerly belonged to Adam, the author of sin and death, they now belong to Christ, the author of salvation and life. Although at one point in the history of Israel the law was added to increase sin (5:20a), yet ‘grace increased all the more’ (5:20b), so that ‘grace might reign’ (5:21). It is a splendid vision of the triumph of grace. Against the grim background of human guilt, Paul depicts grace increasing and grace reigning. What was their criticism? It was not just that Paul’s gospel of justification by grace through faith without works seemed to make the doing of good works otiose. Worse than that, it seemed to stimulate people to sin more than ever. For if, in his understanding of Israel’s story, the law led to an increase of sin, and s...

Intentional Discipleship

Search This Blog