I wonder if Christian Vuissa, founder and organizer of the annual LDS film festival in Utah, might consider producing a hit LDS movie with this title.

Though my opinion is not founded on research, I would perhaps consider Calvary Chapel the largest evangelical denomination in the Intermountain Mormon Corridor.  Would this be a safe observation?

And it is interesting how in 2010, flagship Calvary Chapels on Interstate 15 have stepped it up a notch in public counterpoint teaching to Mormonism. 

A few case examples . . .

1.  Calvary Chapel of Idaho Falls hosting Bill McKeever for a Wednesday night series – Mormonism 101.

2.  Calvary Chapel of Salt Lake City hosting the Capstone Conference this past weekend.

______

Incidentally, I was sitting at Arctic Circle today for lunch (a half mile from my church building and two-and-a-half miles from the CCC of Idaho Falls).  I was sitting right in the midst of a whole group of Idaho Falls veterans (most of these men in their seventies).  One of the tables was discussing genealogies.  Another table was discussing McKeever’s series at CCC.  The conversations were so fascinating, I had to put down momentarily the book I was reading – The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper.

[O]ne body,

and one Spirit,

even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord [Jesus],

one faith [once for all delivered],

one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through

all, and in you all (Eph. 4:4-6 KJV, [emphasis added])

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Seven times you see the word, “one”.

Are you one with me?

These are some interesting tidbits that I picked up from Mitt’s latest book, No Apology:  The Case for American Greatness (2010).

My father knew what it meant to pursue the difficult.  He was born in Mexico, where his Mormon grandparents had moved to escape religious persecution (5).

Some years ago, I served as a lay pastor.  In the Mormon Church, we don’t have full-time or paid pastors, so individual members like me are asked to assume that responsibility.  I served a congregation or a group of congregations in the Boston area for about fourteen years.  Among these were inner-city and Spanish-, Chinese-, and Portuguese- speaking congregations (115).

After my first year of college, I went to France to serve a two-and-a-half year mission for my church, a custom in my Mormon faith and a long tradition in my family. . . . Like my fellow missionaries, I lived on  a hundred dollars a month–about six hundred of today’s dollars–and that had to cover rent, food, transportation, and clothing (195).

Questions on Hebrews 3

Observation

1.  Who is Jesus contrasted with in verses 1-6?
2. List everything you discover in these verses in how they are contrasted.
3. Where do you find the O.T. context for the house and servant being referenced?
4. What is the O.T. passage that chapter 3 directly quotes?
5. Who is speaking in verse 7?  What do you find significant about that?
6. What was the “day of trial” in verse 8?
7. What phrases in chapter 3 are repeated for emphasis?
8. How many persuasive rhetorical questions conclude the chapter?
9. Is unbelief synonymous with disobedience? 
10. How would you summarize the chapter?

Interpretation

1.  Use a Greek study tool to explore “confession” (3:1, 4:14, 10:23).  What insights did you discover?
2. Can someone fall  away from their confession of Jesus Christ?
3. Define the house.  Who is the house?
4. Who built the house?
5. Why is the Greek word, hupostaseos, translated “nature” in Hebrews 1:3 and “assurance” in Hebrews 3:14?

Application

1.  Do you find that your heart is becoming hard to spiritual truths?
2. Are you in danger of losing your testimony?
3. What needs to take place to ensure that you don’t?
4. How can you help others?
5. How often should you help them?

Here is a thought provoking quote by N.T. Wright in his latest book, After You Believe:  Why Christian Character Matters (2010):

And, tellingly, people often suggested, or even simply assumed, that one of the main things Jesus came to do was to tell us more clearly what the rules were and to give us a wonderful example of how to keep them. . . .

. . . Which then runs into difficulties, because people quickly discover that they can’t keep them, and so a different mode breaks in:  Jesus came to bring forgiveness for one’s rule breaking; but once we’ve grasped that, we have to go back to rule keeping again.  That is the broad framework within which many people in today’s Western world have come to think of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (44).

Do you feel trapped in this kind of gospel?

So there you have it – the Baptist Bishop in Ammon, Idaho watched  the movie, One Good Man last week.  I have watched tons of LDS flicks, and this one really stirred my emotions.

The topic that I have been studying in the Bible this week and last week has been ” pastors, shepherds, elders, bishops, and overseers.”

First of all, have you watched this film?

Handout Questions on Hebrews 2

Observation (I’m using the Inductive New American Standard Bible)

1.  In verse 1, what are we to pay close attention to?  Why?
2. In verse 2, what reason is given to show that drifting is dangerous and deadly?
3. In what four ways was God’s salvation confirmed in verse 4?
4. How would you summarize the first paragraph, verses 1-4?
5. When the Bible says “one has testified somewhere” (Hebrews 2:6, 4:4), isn’t that the Holy Spirit whetting your curiosity in Bible study? The inductive question that immediately pops into one’s mind is “Where?”  (I think it is really cool when one reads both Old and New Testaments simultaneously each year to make exciting discovery connections.)
6. Though we do not yet see the fulfillment of all in verse 8, who do we see in verse 9?
7. Why is Jesus not ashamed to call us brethren?
8. His death accomplished what two things in verses 14-15?
9. Why did Jesus have to become 100% man?
10. How would you summarize verses 5-18?

Interpretation

1. Are verses 1-4 warning a mere professor or a genuine possessor of real Christianity? 
2. What would be your biblical reasons behind your answer?
3.  What does a high priest do in order to bring about salvation for his brethren?
4. How many high priests are there today?
5. What is the significance of Psalm 22 and Isaiah 8?

Application

1.  Have you ever met anyone who has drifted completely away from what they have heard about salvation?  What kind of danger are they in?
2. How are we doing as humans in being the appointed head over God’s creation?
3. How have you been drawn to the merciful and faithful high priest?
4. Are you afraid of death?  Do you feel like you are in bondage?
5. Do you think that Jesus understands you in everything?

Inductive questions on Hebrews 1

As Jessica is tackling an inductive study of Galatians at her group blog, let me invite you to join me in a study of Hebrews over here.  Our church family will be in this book for the next three months on Wednesday nights, 6:30 pm – covering a chapter a week.  Join us in person.  Or join us through internet.  Look at chapter one and think through these questions and notes.

Observations in your inductive study

1.  With either different colors or markings, distinguish in your Bible text between the Father and the Son (names and corresponding pronouns) in chapter 1.
2. What does chapter 1 reveal to you about the relationship between God and His Son?
3. The Son (verse 2) is contrasted with what group of people in verse 1?
4. The Son is contrasted with what beings in verse 4?
5. How many O.T. passages does the author use in chapter 1 to support that the Son is better than angels?  What are those passages? (Look up and read your cross-references)
6. The angels of God in verse 6 are named what in Psalm 97:7?
7. Notice the Hebrews 13:8 commentary on Hebrews 1:12.
8. Notice the Hebrews 10:11-13 commentary on Hebrews 1:13.
9. What is one of the purposes of angels in verse 14?
10. How would you summarize the theme of chapter 1?

Interpretive questions in your inductive study

1. Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 1:5 quote Psalm 2:7.  What does “begotten” (v. 5) mean in light of what Paul says in Acts 13:33?
2.  Did the Hebrews recognize other gods (elohim – the Hebrew word in Psalm 97:7 for gods) besides the LORD (Yahweh)?  So how important were angelic beings to the Hebrew people?
3. As the author of Hebrews quotes Old Testament addresses to the LORD (Yahweh), who is the author unmistakably identifying as LORD (Yahweh) in Hebrews 1?
4. So what is the relationship of all other heavenly angels (O.T. elohim) to Yahweh? (see Hebrews 1:6)
5. So does not this opening chapter catapult the Son as the One incomparably supreme over all others?

Applications in your inductive study

1. Using Hebrews 1, how would you share with your neighbor or coworker that Jesus is God?
2. When has it been the last time that you have worshipped the Son?  What was it about Jesus’ person or work that caused you to worship Him?
3. Why would you be more excited about Him than your most respected, religious scholars and experts?  Or even your favorite Bible teachers? 
4.  Who are the biggest people in your life that you listen to and rely upon?  Could there be any temptation of allowing them to eclipse the glory of Jesus Christ in your life?  Can anyone else outshine Jesus?
5. How do the truths of Hebrews 1 comfort you when watching the evening news and the events in American politics?

Yesterday, did you all see the title of this article in your local newspaper?

Mitt Romney says,

President Obama instituted the most anti-growth, anti-investment, anti-jobs measures we’ve seen in our lifetimes.  He called his agenda ambitious.  I call it reckless.

If this is the case that Romney will run again for President, “I betcha” (borrowing another Republican rival expression) that we will see Romney again in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Dr. Klyne Snodgrass wrote,

Salvation is totally the work of God in which we are totally involved.

And by the way, many like impressive denominational statistics; but he doesn’t get too caught up in big numbers:

Southern Baptists–my own denomination, known more for its fights than its grace–have over fifteen million members, half of whom cannot be found.

(This was written back in 1996.)