Crowds of people were following Jesus. He was in the
public eye, being sought out. Were his disciples basking in the limelight? Finding
pleasure in fame?
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain and
sat down. His disciples came to him, and Jesus described to them the person who
is to be congratulated, to be envied. He explained the best way of living, the one
that gives the greatest rewards today and tomorrow. The person who accepts the
demands of God’s Kingdom, that person truly finds happiness and well-being.
What Jesus taught his disciples is known as The Beatitudes
and is found in The Sermon on the Mount.
From the album
“Sing” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Numbers 26:24-26 and
Matthew 5:3-16.
We live in a violent
world. War is raging on every continent. In fact, thirteen major wars are being
fought right now, including the civil war in Myanmar that forcibly
displaced over a million people. As the military was seizing power, my niece evacuated
on one of the last planes out of the country.
We live in an
asylum-seeking world. Thousands of Mexican migrants with their belongings
stuffed into one bag are bussed to “sanctuary cities” in the U.S and simply
dropped off. In a major city just a few hours from my home they fill a third of
the already overwhelmed family homeless shelters.
We live in a
world battling over orthodoxy. In a neighboring state, an education law
resulted in the removal of hundreds of books from public schools, classic works
of fiction, nonfiction history books, even Pulitzer Prize winning contemporary
novels!
The apostle
Paul explains the root of the problem in the New Testament book of Romans.
Three
songs from Romans
1.The Mind of God
We originated in the mind of God. We are created by,
through, and for a triune God to reflect his unity and diversity.[1]
2.Bad
News! Good News!
The problem is
personal. We don’t reflect God’s unity and diversity. We have fallen short of
the glory of God. We are sinners. God’s solution to the problem was personal. God
sent his Son, Jesus, to demonstrate that he loves us. We are forgiven and made
right with God through Jesus’ death.[2]
3.The
Love of God
Surrounded by violence?
Forcibly displaced? Seeking asylum? On the wrong side of orthodoxy? For those
who have accepted God’s solution, nothing can separate them from the love of God.[3]
Read Titus 1:1-5 and Titus 2:11-14. Who wrote the letter?
To whom is it written? Why? What preaching was entrusted to the writer?
Compare Titus1:1-3 and Titus 2:11-14 in the Amplified
Bible and The Message. What did God promise before the beginning of time? To
whom was it promised? When did God fulfill the promise? What does that mean for
you?
Listen to the song. Does it capture the message of these verses?
Why? Why not?
Ordinary Lives
Read Titus 1:6-9 and Titus 2:1-9. What is Titus to teach?
(Titus 2:1) How are leaders to live out that teaching? Older men? Older women?
Young women? Young men? Slaves / employees? What happens when people live out the
teaching? (Titus 2:10)
Listen to the song. What are ordinary clothes? How would
you say it differently?
Compare Titus 3:4-7 in the New International Version and
The Passion Translation. What title does The Passion Translation give this
section? Why? (See the callout in verse 4.) In which translation does the
cadence of the words best reflect the title given to this section?
Listen to the song. Does putting the passage to a beat
help you remember it? Why? Why not?
There are lots of genealogies or family trees in the Old
Testament. The Genesis 5 family tree lists descendants from Adam to Noah. The
Genesis 11 family tree lists descendants from Seth to Abraham. Moses’ family
tree is found in Exodus 6.
The genealogies use the Hebrew word יָלַד (yā·lǎḏ)which means “have a child.” It is translated
“bore” or “begat.” Unless we understand how Moses used the word יָלַד(yā·lǎḏ), the Old
Testament genealogies will not make sense. They will be absurd. They will be
impossible. Let me explain.
This twelve-minute
presentation examines the impossibility of Moses’ genealogy.
Kathy
A print
version of this presentation is available.
Paul pictures the Christian life as a battle. A battle
against doubt, fear, deception, darkness. Paul instructs us to “Put on the full
armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Doubt and Fear vs. Pursuit of Holiness
When we experience pain, problems, and stress, we are
tempted to pursue happiness. The battle we face is internal, a battle against
doubt and fear. When life doesn’t go as we wish, Paul instructs us use the Word
of God as a sword. We are to let God’s Word pierce us and transform our pursuit,
from happiness to holiness.
Deception vs. Liberty
We live in a post-truth culture, a culture in which feelings
trump facts. Jesus, not how we feel, is truth. His teachings are under attack. This
battle is external, a battle against deceptive cultural norms, claims based on
feelings. This battle is fought in the public arena for the right of Jesus
followers to express truth. And after doing everything we can, Paul instructs
us to stand our ground.
Darkness vs. Life
Jesus is the light. Darkness seeks to extinguish the light. Darkness
rules where Jesus and his teachings are banned. When the day of evil comes,
followers of Jesus may experience loss of property or livelihood, imprisonment,
torture, even death. In the day of evil Paul instructs us to put on the full
armor of God and stand firm.
From the album “Main
Street” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Ephesians 6:10-18.
Click here
for MusicXML.
(MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check
the help files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML
files.)
In 2007 a
group of us gathered to plan a Darwin’s Day 2009 celebration. We were going to
celebrate the Creator’s majesty with drama and music. We outlined a story. A
script writer would pen the drama. I had written thirteen songs based on thirteen
creation passages in the Bible. A professional musician would arrange the music
for his group. They would perform music and drama. We would book venues around
the city. Then … our script writer started grad school. Our professional
musician changed jobs. Both had to bow out due to time constraints. We had no
Darwin’s Day 2009 celebration.
What could I
do with a bare outline of a story and a few songs? I finalized the story line and wove it between songs I had written. I
now had a musical that any worship team (yours!) could adapt and make their own.
The Majesty of
the Maker!
He’s a homicide detective and a new father. He wants
something real, something solid to pass on to his son.
He discovered the Bible’s claims about creation match
reality:
·The creation Psalm matches reality. The Majesty of the Maker from Psalm 104
·The Cause of the universe must lie outside the
universe. Son of God’s Love from Colossians 1:15-17[1]
·Life cannot exist unless the universe is
stretched out. Fingerprint from Isaiah 40:21-18[2]
·The Genesis creation account matches reality. The Odds from Genesis 1[3]
·The Genesis creation account of man matches
reality. Family Tree from Genesis 2:7-25[4]
He discovered the Bible’s claims about God and people
match reality:
·People are immeasurably valuable, yet deeply
flawed. Garden of Decision from Genesis 3:15[5]
·If the Creator became a man, he would be like
Jesus. The Word from John1:1-18[6]
·Jesus promises to meet the deepest longings of
the heart. Christmas Every Day from Revelation 21:1-5[7]
·The Creator’s promises can be tested. A Sure Bet from Jeremiah 33:25-26[8]
·We instinctively know that the Creator exists. Secret Lives from Romans 1:18-20[9]
He weighed the evidence:
·Creation shows the existence and grandeur of
God. A Prayer from Psalm 19:1-3, 14[10]
·The Creator is good, loving, and just. I Cry to God from the book of Job[11]
·The Creator can be trusted when pain engulfs. You Are There from Psalm 139[12]
Here’s
scrolling playback of the opening song of the musical.
Kathy
Can a cosmic
beginning (and thus the need for a cosmic beginner) be avoided by appealing to
quantum gravity theories? Can abiogenesis, panspermia, or directed panspermia
account for life on earth? Click here for a review of the scientific literature.
You can download
PDF of the entire musical and/or digital (MusicXML™) music for just the opening
song.
Click here to
download 50-page PDF of the musical: book, music in lead sheet format, lyrics.
Click here for
digital sheet music of the opening song, The
Majesty of the Maker.
(MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check the help
files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML™ files.)
I’ve been rescued, freed, and forgiven by Jesus, God’s
Son whom he dearly loves. Jesus, the
exact image of the invisible God, is Creator and supreme over all creation. He
is worth singing about.
Jesus is God Jesus is Creator Jesus is Supreme
From the musical “The Majesty of the
Maker!” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Colossians 1:15-17.
Kathy
Click here to
download 50-page PDF of the musical: book, music in lead sheet format, lyrics.
Click here for MusicXML.
(MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check
the help files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML
files.)