Pastor Bob Fox
John 8:30-31

Core Value #2—God is calling me to a lifestyle that is true to Scripture. To “hold to” Scripture means:

1. That I can be observed obeying it.
2. That I am increasingly engaged with it.
3. That I am receiving an ongoing “call up” from it.

Therefore I must . . .

1. Have a high view of Scripture.
2. Understand, ponder, its words and apply them to me/we.
3. Consistently interact with others regarding its application/implications.

In the words of Scripture I have in written form God’s complete thought for humanity that then enables me to be wise with respect to my personal circumstances as I give attention to it.

Listen to Bob.

Understanding the Stages of Growth in Core Value #2

Level 1—The entry level, those who have taken the first steps of faith.

• They experience conviction from the statements of the Bible.
• They respect the Bible as a unique and special book.
• They do not fully grasp its authority or its practical role.
• They believe it should be taught and followed.
• They have no personal habits with regard to the Bible.

Level 2—Where they begin to develop personal interest with regard to the Bible.

• They commit themselves to a routine whereby they hear it taught.
• They begin to read it on their own, though not as a matter of set routine.
• They seek to obey what it says, but they falter often.
• Through the Bible they want to get something special from God and tend to lose interest if the feeling doesn’t come.

Level 3—Where they develop personal habits with regard to the Bible.

• They develop a regular routine of Bible reading.
• As they read, they begin to seek the application, and they seek to obey the Bible’s standards.
• They may apply it wrong because they do not understand its overall structure well.
• Certain books and sections remain a mystery to them.
• They must guard against mechanical reading and focus on life application.

Level 4—Where they develop depth and consistency.

• They develop a regular routine of Bible study.
• They interpret and apply it accurately.
• They live it!
• They are developing a good grasp of its overall structure, its recurrent themes and its difficult portions.
• In their times of Bible study they balance their growth in knowledge with growth in intimacy.

Pastor Bob Fox
Luke 14:26

If I want the full experience of God’s salvation I must be a disciple of Jesus—a learner, an attentive student of the lifestyle He lived perfectly.

Core Value #1—My relationship to Christ must be such that it governs all my other relationships. I will please Him in terms of:

1. Who I am involved in close relationships with.
2. My conduct in those relationships.
3. Various boundaries that keep relationships healthy.

This commitment is life-transforming because:

1. I embrace the values of those most important to me.
2. I imitate the behavior of those I most admire.
3. I pursue the agenda of those I most want to please.

Jesus’ Point—“My disciples are people who are:

1. Developing a deeply personal and communicative relationship with me.”
2. Experiencing a relationship with me that has unique boundaries.”

Our Reality—A few key relationships shape our lives. If our relationship to Christ does not have these elements, we are likely someone else’s disciple!

Listen to Bob.

Defining the Stages of Growth in Core Value #1

Level 1—The entry level, those who have taken the first steps in the faith.

• They believe in Christ, but do not have a relationship with him.
• Others, who can be hurt, offended or disappointed, assume priority influence.
• This person avoids doing those things that will result in ridicule or misunderstanding.
• They view prayer as a means of addressing their needs and concerns.
• They view the Bible as a source of information.

Level 2—Where they begin to approach Christ in a relational way.

• They want to hear from him and talk to him about personal matters.
• They begin to allow Christ authority in practical matters.
• They begin to recognize the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• They view prayer as a means of addressing their feelings and thoughts to God. They schedule it.
• They view the Bible as a source of authoritative direction.

Level 3—Where they protect and value their relationship with Christ.

• They think in terms of bringing hurt or joy to that relationship.
• They are willing to disappoint, even offend others for the sake of their relationship with Christ.
• Prayer has become a means of both speaking with and listening to God.
• They begin to seek maturity in discerning the Spirit’s leading.
• The Bible is a way of knowing God’s thought for their lives.

Level 4—Where the relationship has become fully functional.

• They are loyal to Christ regardless of ridicule and the demands of others. Christ’s opinion matters the most.
• Their relationships are clearly conducted in a Christ-like manner.
• The routines of their life are clearly under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
• They clearly discern the Spirit’s leading.
• Prayer is a continuous and ongoing part of their lives.

Pastor Bob Fox
Hebrews 5:11-14

Salvation to us means being forgiven. Salvation in God’s mind means forgiveness, reclamation, and re-creation. It is meant to create change in us.

1. There is a legitimate time expectation regarding this change process.
2. There is a legitimate expectation that we become a source of guidance to others.
3. Spiritual maturity is hampered by the normal human pursuit of righteousness. Living right is:
• Having a healthy child/father relationship with God due to the cross.
• Pursuing a new source of rightness–the voice of God’s Spirit within us.
• Discerning rightly the Spirit’s voice, and following it.
4. Our maturity:
• Comes about through habits.
• Is the process of training our senses.
• Consists of learned ability to distinguish good and evil.

Jesus’ Calling to us – It is to become His disciples–learners fully engaged in this process of growth. He leads us in the re-ordering of our lives around five core values.

Listen to Bob.

Pastor Bob Fox
Joshua 1:8

A new tradition began with Joshua, in which God began to make the truth available in writing to humanity. Four ideas are inherent then in “The Book’s” character.

1. God’s written revelation is so critical and powerful that we are to speak IT to others continually.
2. We are to ponder the words of God’s book, their meaning and implication. They enable us to carefully and intentionally do #3.
3. We are to obey it—implement God’s book as the nonnegotiable grid through which we will pass our thoughts and actions for approval/disapproval.
4. To the degree we give attention to it, God’s book will equip us to push forward and to do so wisely.

Listen to Bob.

This is one of the questions we have received since many of you began the READ the BIBLE in One Year. We thought we would post it along with an answer from one of our staff.

——————————-

What is the belief on being spirit filled with the evidence of speaking in tongues? Do you believe that or not?

——————————-

Speaking in tongues is just one of several manifestations of the Spirit mention by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12. These are given according to the Spirit’s will and are for the common good (1 Cor 12:7). It is also apparent from this chapter that not all believers exhibit the same manifestations (verses 29 and 30). Moreover, nowhere in Scripture is the filling of the Spirit connect with any of these particular manifestations.

Rather, the filling of the Holy Spirit is conditioned on our obedience (Eph 4:30; 1 Thess 5:19; Gal 5:16) and is evident in the believer’s walk with the Lord. In other words, the person who is filled with the Spirit will have an attitude of love toward their fellow believers and of thankfulness toward God (Eph 5:18-20) and will also be full of God’s word (Col 3:16-17).

Richard Weisenburger