I am theVine
My Story
Life is brief and when I reviewed My Story at the beginning of each blade I realized how faithful God has been to me. My Parents, Grandparents, many sermons, books, and teachers helped me understand God and His Word.
I learned that Real, True, Value … according to greek philosophers are the divisions of knowledge. I learned that the natural world needed supernatural revelation to form a cogent worldview.
In our post Christian culture we need Worldview, Apologetics and Genesis to guide people to grow in Christ.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing”
Question # 1 How can we grow in His grace and knowledge?
Proverbs 23:23 “Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
2 Timothy 2:6-7 “Paul taught Timothy to think about how a hard-working farmer is like a competent disciple-maker, who understands how to form an argument, then illustrate, and apply it. To talk about God and His Son Jesus we…
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- Argue – Develop Arguments from Scripture
- Illustrations – Develop examples that support the Argument.
- Application – Develop tactics that advance the Argument.
The following tools help us in this work:
The Macarthur Study Bible. (Popular Study Bible)
GTY.org (Popular source of sermons)
The Bible Project (5-minute Videos) Overviews of each book of the Bible.
Lifelong Study Projects
To Abide in Christ is the goal of a disciple. Currently, I am finding A.I.A.’s (Arguments, Illustrations and Applications) in the books of the Bible that begin with the letter “J”
Old Testament – Jonah, Joel, Jeremiah, Judges, Joshua, and Job.
New Testament – Jude, James, John, I John, II John, and III John.
Also, I am reviewing the lives of leaders from the history of the church.
Question # 2 What encouragement do we learn from those who walked with Christ before us?
Seven Periods of Church History
Period 1 The Apostolic Church (30 –100 A.D.) John
The Chosen #1, #2 Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew
The Chosen #3, #4 James son of Zebedee, and his brother John
The Chosen #5, #6, #7 Phillip, Bartholomew (Nathanael) Thomas
The Chosen #8, #9 Matthew the tax collector, James son of Alphaeus
The Chosen #10, #11 Thaddaeus (Judas, son of James), Simon the Zealot
The Chosen #12 Judas Iscariot, Matthias, Paul (Judas replaced with Paul)
Period 2 The Persecuted Church (100 – 313 A.D.)
ends with the Edict of Constantine
Justin Martyr years 100-165
Tertullian years 145-195
Irenaeus years 130-201
Period 3 The Imperial Church (313 – 476 A.D.)
ends with the Fall of Rome
Jerome years 342-420
Augustine years 352-430
John Chrysostom years 347 – 407
Period 4 The Medieval Church (476 – 1453 A.D)
ends with the Fall of Constantinople
Peter Abelard years 1079 – 1142
Thomas Aquinas years 1225 – 1274
John Wycliffe years 1302 – 1384
John Huss years 1369 – 1415
Period 5 The Reformed Church (1453 – 1648 A.D.)
ends with the end of The 30-year War
Desiderius Erasmus years 1466 – 1536
Martin Luther years 1483 – 1546
John Calvin years 1509 – 1564
Thomas Cartwright years 1535 – 1603
Period 6 The Modern Church (1648-1912 A.D.)
ends at the Birth of Francis Schaeffer
John Wesley years 1703 – 1791
William Wilberforce years 1759 – 1833
William Carey years 1761 – 1863
Charles Spurgeon years 1834 – 1892
D.L. Moody years 1837 – 1899
Gresham Machen years 1861 – 1937
Period 7 The Contemporary Church… 1912 to the Rapture
Peter Marshall years 1902-1949
C.S. Lewis years 1895-1963
Francis Schaeffer years 1912-1984
Bill Bright years 1921-2003
James Kennedy years 1930 – 2007
Phillip E. Johnson years 1940 – 2019
John Whitcomb years 1924- 2020
This outline is from The Story of the Christian Church, by Dr. Jesse Hurlbut.
Question # 3 How can we impact the culture for Christ?
Answer: By daily abiding in Christ we become consistent examples. And God leads us to talk to specific people who would like to have a personal plan they can use.
Learn the seven blades in order, plus the one key word for each blade.
First – ask for ten minutes each week for seven weeks. Set a time and text them the first blade for review on the day you selected.
Second – text them on the day selected for the ten minute discussion.
Third – review the three questions
Learn the Breakfast on the Beach (John 21) 153 Fishing Strategy
1 leader, 5 people, 3 questions
Tactical teams – Some people who review the course may be interested in forming or joining others who use the seven blades. (Examples)
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- Two men and a Bible
- Pastors with Pastors
- Grandparents with Grandkids
- Christian Business Owners
- Noble Christian Women
- Students, Teachers, and Parents
- Students with Smartphones
Review good discipleship tactics A.C.T.
These discipleship examples are a good model for thinking…
Arguments, Illustrations, and Applications.
Measuring
“I am the true vine” emphasizes the concept of productivity and growth, suggesting that what is measured and tended to will increase, much like branches connected to the vine yield fruit when properly cared for. In a spiritual context, measuring and tracking progress can lead to increased effectiveness and fruitfulness in one’s discipleship and ministry efforts.
The result can be a 30, 60, or 100-fold increase according to the parable of the sower.
Summary
We can measure growth in these areas:
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- Spiritual Connection
- Dependence on Jesus
- Bearing Fruit
- Effectiveness in Ministry
- Remaining in Jesus
- Pruning by God
- Interconnectedness of Believers
Worldview
Comparing and Contrasting the Competing worldviews help people understand.
Apologetics
We remember the work of defending the faith (apologetics) with the word R.E.A.D.
Reasons, Evidences, Answers that Destroy
“arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5
Genesis
The encyclopedia lists links, books, articles, etc. to help us in education, evangelism and apologetics. Many of these “Tools” support the truth of creation found in Genesis. Millions have been lied to regarding Genesis. Pray that God will grant them repentance.