Posts with the category “new-wine”

IntroductionThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENWhen you think of following Jesus, truly following (living, breathing, studying His every move), is there someone in your life that has significantly influenced you in the Way? Maybe a book, an exercise, or an...  Read More

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” -Matthew 6:16-18In the ...  Read More

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” -John 13:14-15“…whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” -Mark 10.43-44“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good s...  Read More

"On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come" - 1 Corinthians 16:2The point is this: “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God lo...  Read More

Spiritual Discipline #3, Prayer.:…pray without ceasing” -1 Thessalonians 5:17“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and constantly pray…” -Romans 12:12“…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…” -Philippians 4:6It’s hard to overstate the importance of this spiritual discipline for the Christian l...  Read More

Spiritual Practice #2, Giving Thanks. "...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18We can thank God in all circumstances because he is sovereign over all things; he is infinitely wise and infinitely loving. He is in control of all things; nothing can happen unless he allows it, and in his infinite love and wisdom, he causes all t...  Read More

With new wine and new wineskins, we need to be able to handle it all a little differently. You may have been a Christian for the majority of your life. Yet, you have never really had the opportunity to delve into the spiritual disciplines in a way that has become truly meaningful for you. This week, we will delve into 5 disciplines that might be helpful for you to dive into intentionally. #1 Medit...  Read More

IntroductionThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENShare about one of your favorite school teachers growing up.  What did they teach?  Why were they one of your favorites?HEADRead Mark 3: 13-15 together and share any wisdom, insights, or thoughts from the read...  Read More

John 8:31-32  To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.Today, we are going to take a good hard look and listen to some incredibly clear and serious words of our Master Teacher/Rabbi Jesus. These words are probably some of the most well known of His sayings. Especially, by pe...  Read More

Mark 6:30-32  The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told Him all they had done and taught.  31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn’t even have time to eat.  32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. Luke 5:15-1...  Read More

Matthew 6:9-13  “9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  11 Give us this day our daily bread.  12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for eve...  Read More

Luke 10:38-42  “38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? ...  Read More

"The Lord is my Shepherd..." This phrase, this statement, is one of the most well known to humanity. For sure, it is probably the most familiar among Christians and Jews. It seems to appear in just about every printed funeral program when a loved one passes away. This statement, from Psalm 23, has probably brought some of the most profound comfort to people when going through seasons of grief or s...  Read More

Matthew 11:28-30  “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””I have a question for you. Are you ready for it? Ok, here it is . . . would you like to ...  Read More

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John 15:9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other like I have loved you.It is fair to say that the greate...  Read More

John 15:7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.How do you bring glory to the Father? How does the work you do in the vineyard, the things you do that bear fruit, show the world who God is? What does the fruit you bear look like, ca...  Read More

John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. This remaining will produce much fruit in you. The next statement is important; “apart from me you can do nothing.”What does this mean? Is it true that we can do nothing of significance without Christ? That may be a strong statement, too strong....  Read More

John 15:4. . . Remain in me. . .We should talk just about this text today. It is just a little part of a much greater whole, but it makes sense to linger here.While working on my doctoral thesis, I spent much time thinking, studying, and exegeting the idea of the Trinity as a model for community. This one phrase stuck in my mind above all the other phrases: “Mutual Abiding.”The more I studied it, ...  Read More

John 15:3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.So the pruning did not take the branch away, rather, it purified it and made it able to produce good fruit. If you are like me, for many years I found this ...  Read More

John 15:1“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.Have you ever hung out in a vineyard? Weirdly, I have. I spent one year in the Napa Valley attending Pacific Union College. It was a great year. I had a great time, and I was able to hang out wi...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENOne can study for decades how to properly grow and care for a vineyard to produce not only the best fruit, but a great wine.  Have you ever planted a garden, or grown something from seed to plant or fruit?  Sh...  Read More

Luke 9:59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand...  Read More

We need new wineskins because something happens with new wine. Gasses formed within the wineskin as the wine’s flavor, color, balance, and boutique grew. Because the new wineskin could expand and hold both the wine and the gasses.If the new wine is the grace and power of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, then we should expect that the new wine will continue to grow, change, and expand. How do ...  Read More

Moving from the personal to the community, often when we speak of old wineskins, we are talking about the traditions of the church that are no longer relevant nor effective as we spread the gospel. The way that the wine was brought to us previously might not be the way future generations and different worldviews engage most effectively in the gospel. Without being willing to change how we bring th...  Read More

“And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no on...  Read More

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.A new heart has been promised to us, which is a new wineskin. My wife and I have had issues with our hearts, but hers was much more pronounced than mine. S...  Read More

It is in our very nature to try and put this new wine into our old wineskins. Why? It is because of our fallen, broken nature that we seek out more without making sacrifices. My wife and I bought my mother's house a few years ago. The only issue was that my mom decided to move and not take her things. The good news is that we love much of her stuff. The bad news is that we had quite a bit of stuff...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENIf you make New Year’s resolutions, share one with the group, along with how the group can encourage you.  If you don’t make them, share what you’re hoping for in 2024.HEADRead Luke 5: 36-39 and Colossians 3:1...  Read More

Please read Colossians 3 today. I won’t do it for you, as it is a bit long. But take some time to read it, as it pertains to what we have discussed this week. Well, I will give you just a peek: Colossians 3:3 : “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”Jesus is a master storyteller. So, it is no surprise that the analogy gives us profound and agitating truths about life. The a...  Read More

The Greek words for “new” and “old” don’t merely denote age but “nature” or “essence.” Old wineskins are already stretched, thin, rigid, cracked, and brittle. New wineskins, by nature, are elastic, full of oils, supple, thick, and can be sewn and shaped. "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, spill it, and destroy it. But new wine must be put i...  Read More

So what would new wine be? I mentioned before that when people want to learn what makes Crosswalk unique, they often go to our process and design. We offer people something completely different from what is usually given in the churches they have attended. The difference is New Wine. Let me explain: When I came back into pulpit ministry and led a church, I had to decide my organizing principle. Th...  Read More

So, what is old wine?In a word, Vinegar. . . That’s not great. One of my earliest memories of being at my wife’s family home was when we had gone on a walk one chilly December morning. We walked a long time, as we often do. We were hungry by the time we returned to the house, but most of all, we were thirsty. We first went to the refrigerator to grab some ice-cold water. Sara, my wife, reached int...  Read More

Let’s talk wineskins for a little. Most of us are not so familiar with wineskins for many reasons. The biggest reason is that the bottle replaced the wineskin in approximately the 1600’s. Those bottles looked a great deal different than the glass bottles and the shape we are used to today. The reason why wineskins were used for so long is pretty robust, but they used sheep or pig bladders to accou...  Read More

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”Mark 2:22Our first series of the year will be about New Wine. Perhaps this is not an excellent metaphor for a church in a tradition that has a legacy of health and “tee-totalism,” if that is a phrase. While Adventists have tra...  Read More

As we begin 2024, we desire that you make these study guides into something you do every day. Spiritual growth and development take discipline and a deep desire to continue to work. These resources, both this guide and the Abide Daily Podcast, are tools that will help you along this journey. This tool is used to prepare you to hear the sermon and is to be used along with the weekly study guide for...  Read More