Are you satisfied with your prayer life?

• Luke 18:1

• Colossians 4:2

• Ephesians 6:16

• I Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing!

  • II Samuel 9:7 – “Continually” means to make it a way of life.

We must imitate Jesus in our prayer life

• Luke 3:21 – Jesus prayed when He began His public ministry.

• Mark 1:35 – Jesus began His day in prayer.

• Matthew 15:36 – Jesus prayed at mealtime.

  • I Timothy 4:3

• Mark 14:23 – Jesus closed His day with prayer.

• Luke 6:12-13 – Jesus prayed before big decisions.

• Luke 9:28-31 – We must pray when we are trying to transform our lives.

• Mark 14:32-35 – Jesus prayed at Gethsemane. We cannot fight and win the battle without prayer to God.

• Luke 23:34 – If we imitate Jesus, the time between our last prayer and our last breath won’t be very long.

Be careful how you live. How you live will be how you die, and it will most certainly be how you are judged.

First … how much should we give?

• Everything! Matthew 22:37

• … but only part of our giving goes in the place. (Ephesians 4:28; I Timothy 5:8)

• “I can slack off in other areas as long as I’m a big giver.” NO!

• “I can slack on in giving as long as I contribute in other areas. I hate to part with my money, but I’ll sign up to teach the kids’ Bible classes all four quarters!” NO!

• I Corinthians 16:1-2

• II Corinthians 8:12

I honor God with my heart – and He deserves it!

• Acts 17:24-28

• II Chronicles 2:5-6; 5:6, 13-14; 6:18; 7:4-5, 10

• II Corinthians 8:1-12

• Philippians 4:17-18

It helps me develop joy!

• II Corinthians 9:6-7

• How would I react if I was in the first century being persecuted for my faith?

• How do I react when it is time to give?

I have fellowship with other Christians!

• II Corinthians 9:10-15

• Philippians 4:10, 14-16

Attitude check: Proverbs 10:8; 15:22; 19:20 – Listen to get wise!

Isn’t baptism an outward sign of an inward grace? (continued)

• Notice what scripture says …

  • Acts 22:16 – Paul was baptized to wash away his sins

  • Romans 6:3-4 – We are baptized into Jesus – not baptized because we are in Jesus.

  • I Corinthians 12:13 – We are baptized into one body.

  • Galatians 3:27 – “baptized into Christ”

  • Colossians 3:12 – “buried with Him in baptism”

  • I Peter 3:21 – “baptism now saves you”

  • Note: The Bible never says that baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace.

• Observe the experience of those baptized

  • When people in the Bible were taught about baptism, they acted quickly, realizing their souls were in jeopardy until they were baptized.

    • Acts 2:41

    • Acts 8:36

    • Acts 16:33

    • Acts 22:16

  • The fact that they treated baptism as an urgent matter harmonizes with the idea of salvation being granted at the point of baptism.

  • We also read of people rejoicing after their baptisms. Again, this makes sense if people realized they were getting baptized “into Christ.”

    • Acts 8:38-39; 16:33-34

  • Acts 8:26-40 – The Ethiopian didn’t wait until other people were present so that he could have shown his baptism as an “outward sign.”

• What about verses that say we’re saved by faith?

  • They were absolutely true (and should be taken in context).

  • Romans 4:1-3

    • Romans 4:4 – Works are described as earning something that is due. Abraham was a good man, but God certainly never owed him salvation.

    • Abraham certainly needed to obey God!

      • Acts 7:2-4; Genesis 11:31

      • Genesis 12:9

      • Genesis 12:7-8; 13:3-4

      • Genesis 14:20

    • Abraham is used as an example to show that “man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:21-24)

    • James 2 is using the word “works” differently than Romans 4 (James 2:14-26)

  • The words “faith” and “belief” can certainly include actions.

    • Acts 16:34

    • Hebrews 11:4, 7, 8, 17, 24, 27

  • Noah was saved by faith. Faith caused him to build an ark!

  • People today are saved by an obedient faith.

• John 3:16 – The word “believes” is synecdoche. There is more involved than just mental assent.

  • Context: John 3:1-8 – Nicodemus is told what he must do to be saved.

  • Numbers 21:6

  • Harmony: Acts 11:18; Mark 16:16; James 2:14-26; John 12:42-43; Romans 5:1 (1:5; 16:26; 6:3-4); Acts 16:34 (16:31-33)

In scripture

• Bartholomew

  • Only in the listings

  • Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13

  • Called Nathanael in the book of John (John 1:45-49)

    • First to declare belief in Jesus as the Son of God, King of Israel

    • Jesus promised him greater wonders to come

  • Named together with other apostles in John 21:2-4

  • Bartholomew means “Son of Tolmai”

• Thomas

  • Willing to die: John 11:16

  • Didn’t know: John 14:1-6

  • Prove it: John 20:24-28

  • Such a bad thing? Acts 17:10-12

  • Difference between him and us

• Matthew

  • Also called Levi

  • Tax collector – Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27-29

  • No other mention other than listing of apostles

• James son of Alpheus (the Less)

  • Mother’s name was Mary – Mark 16:1

  • Probably the James of Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18

    • Apparently well-respected among the apostles

    • Possibly prominent

  • Not certain about I Corinthians 15:7

  • Galatians 1:19 problematic – different from James the son of Alpheus

  • Author of book of James?

    • Book of James – compare with Sermon on the Mount

      • Persecution – James 1:2; Matthew 5:10-12

      • Perfection – James 1:4; Matthew 5:48

      • Praying in faith – James 1:5; 5:15; Matthew 7:7-12

      • Wrath – James 1:20; Matthew 5:22

      • Mercy – James 2:13; Matthew 5:7

      • Obedience – James 2:14-16; Matthew 7:21-23

      • Being peaceable – James 3:17-18; Matthew 5:9

      • Serving two masters – James 4:4; Matthew 6:24

      • Humility – James 4:10; Matthew 5:3-4

      • Judgment – James 4:11-12; Matthew 7:1-2

      • Perishable riches – James 5:1-3; Matthew 6:19

      • Patience in suffering – James 5:10-11; Matthew 5:12

      • Swearing – James 5:12; Matthew 5:33-37

• Thaddaeus (Lebbaeus, Judas)

  • Only seen in listings of the apostles

  • Son of James (not the apostle James)

  • Not the brother of James

  • John 14:21-24

• Simon the Zealot, Zelotes, Canaanite

  • Only in the three listings of the apostles

• Judas Iscariot

  • Foretelling: Psalms 69:25; 109:8; John 6:71

  • Misconduct: John 12:1-8

  • Betrayal: Matthew 26:14-16, 21-25, 47-50

    • Mark 14

    • Luke 22

    • John 18

  • Acts 1:15-25

• Difference between Judas and Nathanael

  • John 1:49

  • Matthew 26:14-16

• Matthias

  • Acts 1:12-16

  • No other reference in scripture

In history and tradition

• Bartholomew (Nathanael)

  • Preached throughout Parthia as far as India

  • Translated book of Matthew into Sanskrit

  • Moved on to Armenia and preached there

  • Joined Philip in Hierapolis, nearly martyred there

  • Description of Bartholomew by Indians

    • Black, curly hair with white skin and large eyes

    • Hair over his ears and long, grisly bead, medium height

    • Voice like a trumpet, able to speak any language

    • Wore same clothes and shoes many years with no wear

We must avoid sin!

• We can’t just claim the devil made us do it! Acts 5:3

• Good doesn’t cancel out bad! Acts 5:2

  • Romans 4:7 – Forgiveness is what we need – not more good!

• God wants us to walk in the light and avoid sin.

We must fear God!

• Acts 5:5

• Proverbs 1:7; 3:7-8; 8:12-13; 14:26-27

• Hebrews 10:26-27,. 30-31

• Acts 5:5, 11-14 – After the incident with Ananias and Sapphira, multitudes came to God.

• I Corinthians 5:6-7 – Sin spreads if it is not rooted out!

Don’t be discouraged by evil.

• Acts 4:32-37

• Galatians 6:9 – Don’t grow weary in doing well.