Do Not Be Deceived!: Diving Deeper
See Jesus
This week, Pastor Kevin continued his sermon series on the last days, “In The Meantime” with a message about deception. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 4:3:
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
Does the term ‘itching ears’ resonate with anyone else? For myself, the term “itching ears” make me think of how I have sometimes responded when I have heard someone say:
“The Bible doesn’t have a rule against it!”
I’ve thought to myself, “That’s true! The Bible doesn’t say I can’t _________(watch that movie, listen to that music, go to that event, etc).”
Over a number of days, or weeks, maybe just hours, I’ve let that thought grow and grow until I doubt what the Lord has told me and I feel justified in doing whatever it is I feel like.
This is often how deception works, and I’ve fallen for it many times! I have a hidden desire in my heart, and then the enemy places this idea in my path: “Did God really say not to?”
Did God really say not to judge others? I mean, I know He says you have to forgive them, but surely you’re allowed to make judgements on their character!
Did God really say you shouldn’t watch that movie? Are you sure you’re not just being religious?
Did God really say you should honour and respect authority? Surely He wasn’t talking about these people!
If the desire in my heart is to go in one of these directions, my itching ears are eager to latch on to any sort of teaching that might justify what I want to do. It’s so easy to find someone who will tell me what I want to hear. Sometimes I don’t even need a false teacher to lead me astray, sometimes I’ve just followed the “way that seems right to (me), but in the end it leads to death.”
Pastor Kevin encouraged us to respond to false teaching, seeds of doubt, and to itching ears by checking the Word of God to find if what we're hearing is true. Let the Sword of the Spirit divide between what is the flesh and what is the spirit, what is true and what just sounds like truth.
This week, after hearing Pastor Kevin’s message, I went to the Lord and asked Him if there were areas that I was deceived. I asked God to please use the Sword of the Spirit to cut away what was untrue from what was true.
As I was praying I saw a picture in my mind:
I saw dry cracked fingernail beds.
If you’ve ever spent long hours outside in the winter you might know how hard and cracked your fingernail beds can become! I saw in this picture that the fingers were so hard and cracked that it was very difficult to cut the cuticles away, because when trying cut away the dry skin it was easy to tear the fresh skin away with it. In order to keep it from being very painful, the fingers needed to soak in warm water and oil. After that, the fingers were soft and pliable and it was easy to cut the dead skin away from the living skin.
I heard the phrase, “Soak first!”
So I soaked in God’s presence. I spent time listening to worship music and actively remembering the love of God towards me and the grace He lavishes on my life.
After that, I went to the Word and found that God did indeed have something to cut away in me. I read Scripture about it and the Scripture showed me where I was holding on to a lie, and the Lord invited me instead to renounce that lie and receive the truth.
I got to experience how soaking in God’s presence, whether that’s for three minutes through listening to a worship song, praying in the Spirit, or any of the many ways I can experience God’s love and grace, softens my heart to receive His word that will cut away what is dead and reveal the Spirit that is alive within me.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
How beautiful to receive what God has breathed to keep me safe, set me free, and thoroughly equip me for the life He's called me to!
-Pastor Nicole
Know Jesus
This week, you can dive deeper into the message through one or all of the following:
Soak in God's love and presence, whether that's by listening to worship music, praying in the Spirit, going outside and enjoying His creation, or however you experience God's overflowing love towards you. Ask God to use His Word to cut away deception.
Do a DBS on 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Listen and worship along with "I'm a Lover of Your Presence" by Bryan and Katie Torwalt.
Consider the prayer prompts given in your time with God this week.
Discovery Bible Study
TO BEGIN
Pray and ask Holy Spirit to teach you about God from His word.
Next, read the verse a couple of times.
Now, ask these questions:
What does this tell me about God/Jesus?
What does this tell me about people?
How can I respond to what I just read?
When you’re done asking these questions, it’s a great idea to pray and thank God for teaching you more about who He is and who you are!
Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is a way for anyone, anywhere to read God's word! You can dive deeper into this week's message by doing a DBS one any one or all of these scriptures. DBS is a great tool to use for your own devotions, as a bible study with friends, or as an evangelism tool!
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Prayer Prompts
Pray for revelation on our role "In the Meantime" as we actively wait upon the return of Christ Jesus!
Pray that we would guarded against deception through a reliance on God's Word.
Pray for the influx of souls into the Kingdom! Pray that the love of God would shine through the family as we are on mission through hospitality.
Share Jesus
You can share this week's podcast, email, or blog post. Check out volunteer opportunities to get involved in the work of sharing Jesus in our church family and community.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
January 28th we are hosting a "Mid-Winter Feast" community outreach dinner! The vision behind this dinner is the instruction that Jesus gave us in Luke 14: "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” If you would like to volunteer for this ministry opportunity, you can reach out to Pastor Merodee by clicking here.
Pastor Charla is creating the upcoming Kids Church schedule. You can reach out to Pastor Charla to sign up by clicking here.
