by Bret Capranica | Feb 20, 2014 | Christian Living, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
For those who will be attending Summit Woods Baptist Church this Sunday, here are a few ways you could begin preparing your heart for our gathering to hear God’s Word: Carefully Think Read Matthew 13:24-30, 33-36. Make a list that compares the telling of the parable (13:24-33) and the explanation of the parable (13:36-43). List things like the setting of both sections, the characters involved and what they refer to, etc. In one sentence, how would you summarize the main idea of this parable? How does this parable speak to the situation that Jesus has been facing with the fierce opposition surrounding him (Matthew 11-12)? When does Jesus say that expressions of sin and deception will be finally dealt with? How? Prayerfully Meditate Is Jesus referring to how the church is to deal with sin in her midst? How can you tell and why? How would Matthew 18:15-20 fit with what this parable is instructing? Does this parable teach that we should not confront false teaching in the world or apply church discipline? How and why? Think through how this parable should shape the way you think about God and how we should respond to deceptive teachers, false converts, and the general promotion of what is sinful or unbiblical in our world. How should you respond? Why is how Jesus deals with sin and those who promote it painted in such fierce and violent terms? Intentionally Act List ways you could apply this parable to your attitude and actions this week. Use this list as a prayerful reminder this week. How would this parable assist you in praying for...
by Bret Capranica | Oct 13, 2012 | Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think Read Matthew 5:38-42. Summarize in one sentence what the main idea is. How does Matthew 5:38-42 fit with the idea Jesus expressed in 5:17-20? Read Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; and Deuteronomy 19:21. What are these passages teaching about retaliation? Why would the OT emphasize this? How do these OT passages help you understand what Jesus is referring to in 5:38? Is Jesus contradicting the OT passages in 5:39? Why or why not? List the illustrations Jesus gives about retaliation in 5:39-42. What is the emphasis of each one uniquely (i.e., what is the issue with being slapped verses being sued, etc.)? Is Jesus advocating pacifism in these verses? Are Christians not to defend themselves? Is Jesus suggesting that we not advocate justice? Why – why not? Prayerfully Meditate How are Christians supposed to apply these concepts in 5:38-42 in day-to-day living? Over what sort of issues are you most prone to seek personal vengeance? How could you cultivate the default attitude of trusting God and not seeking revenge when taken advantage of? What sort of patterns of thinking would you need to develop? How could this affect how you pray for those who are unjustly taking advantage of you? What would help motivate a person to respond the way Jesus is advocating? How does the message of the gospel help cultivate this sort of response? Think back to what Jesus suffered. How did he respond? Why did he respond as he did? How would his responses be helpful in our cultivating a similar response? Intentionally Act Have you been expressing any personal animosity or vengeful attitudes toward...
by Bret Capranica | Mar 22, 2012 | Biblical Studies, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think Read Matthew 5:4 Recall from last week what it does and does not mean to be “blessed.” How is this beatitude related to the first? How would it relate to the next one? Over what would a person mourn if they are to find this kind of blessing? Why? What is the result of mourning? When should you expect that result? To what degree? Can you think of any illustrations from the Bible of people who mourned in the way this beatitude commends? How so? Can you think of any illustrations from the Bible of people who mourned in a way contrary to what this beatitude commends? How so? Prayerfully Meditate How does this beatitude differ from general grief? What would produce this kind of mourning in a person? What is it that you find regularly moves you to this sort of mourning? If we are to be people who mourn, how can we be people who are comforted at the same time? When was the last time you found yourself mourning over your own sin, the sin around you and sin’s effects in our world? What have you found to bring the most satisfying comfort when you do mourn as this beatitude commends? How does the gospel create this beatitude in us? Intentionally Act What steps could you take to elevate your comprehension and meditation on the character of God so that you have a vision of Him that creates a greater sensitivity to sin? What sins have you become accustomed to rather than mourn over? Spend time confessing these sins with godly sorrow. Pray specifically...
by Bret Capranica | May 24, 2010 | Biblical Studies, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Sunday Evening’s message from Matthew 5:1-3: Audio is HERE. thecapranica on livestream.com. Broadcast Live...
