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Shane Willard offers a unique Jewish/Hebraic perspective for Christians on Finance and Giving. Shane is mentored by a pastor with rabbinical training, and teaches the context of the Scriptures from a Hebraic perspective. This perspective helps people to see God's Word in a completely new way and leads them into a more intimate relationship with the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
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Am I me, regardless of what I'm producing; or is my entire life and worth defined by the number of bricks I can make? Is God still the creator, even when He's resting?
The Sabbath is a day where you live like your work is done, even if it isn't - and that is healing. The world goes on, because God is God, and you are not.
The supply of everything I need, is as close to me as the air that I'm breathing, I just need to stop and become aware of that.
The 10 Commandments is about Grace, its God giving people something that they did not earn or deserve - it's: welcome to being human again.
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Tefillah, Teshuvah, Tzedakah (1 of 6) Pictures from Hebrew hieroglyphics are used like a comic strip, to illuminate the word. Tefillah/Prayer: turn the head, in order to face the one, who can bear the burden. Teshuvah/Repentance: change your thinking.
Tzedakah/Generosity: Righteousness revealed; to be generous. The desire of your heart opens the door to humility.
Being a Peacemaker (2 of 6) This story is about Peacemakers & Escalation…Our hero of the faith was a rebellious, spoilt brat, who wanted his own way, in every single way. This was a man that was sleeping with prostitutes on his wedding night, because he got depressed, because his best man stole his wife.
From what started out as a joke no-one understood, a fascinating cycle of violence ensues, based on: because you did this, I now have a right to do that. I merely did to them, what they did to me. This way of living will always bring death.
Demonstrating God's Power (3 of 6) Remarkable similarities are found between the Corinthian Gods of Mithra, Adonis, Addis, Horus, and the Gospel story of Jesus Christ.
Paul's strategy changed in Corinth, instead of making fine-sounding arguments that Jesus was the Christ, as he did with the Jews, he demonstrated what Jesus' life looked like, by living it out.
That gave him the credibility to announce that the kingdom of God was at hand. Cookie-cutter evangelism doesn't work. Demonstrating the Power of God, within the Disposition of Messiah, gives us the Credibility to speak life into any situation.
Being a Good Neighbor (4 of 6) Luke 12:13 is the only time that Jesus' actually proclaims: God is going to kill you. It's not any of the sins you would think. It's not adultery, fornication, burning your children in fire, idolatry. Its greed!
Jesus is not impressed by what kind of car you drive, house you live in, or anything you possess; but with how much compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding-in-love, character is present in your homes.
Form versus Function (5 of 6) Greek people, people from Europe, see form. We were trained to see form and think in form. Hebrew people see function.
To study our Bible more effectively, we should be people who are training ourselves to see function.
Worries of this Life, Deceitfulness of Wealth (6 of 6) Jesus says: the worries of this life will keep the word of God from taking root in your life. It's something that chokes your life out.
The other one is the deceitfulness of wealth, which is a lie that says: if I had this I would be happy.
Do you have one day in seven, that is unlike any other? If you do, how is it different? Who are the most important people to you? What are you called to be? Is that getting your attention first?
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Turn off the Dark Sermon on the mount: don't get what you need by judging others, or by manipulation - simply ask, seek and knock - be clear. Be aware of how your concept of God affects how you treat others. "Knowing God" is directly tied to how you treat other people. Don't follow teachers, whose teachings destroy your life - if it isn't working, then dump it.
Jesus assumes a community that can talk through darkness, with the sole purpose of bringing light to it. Gossip makes us consumed with self-preservation, and destroys that necessary environment of openness and honesty. When we neglect correction, we are on a slippery slope to destruction. You don't have to fall on purpose; you just have to live with no feedback, and destruction will be a natural part of your life.
Live with Purpose (Men's Breakfast) Ghenna was the town rubbish dump (a present reality), and Hades is an afterlife (a future reality), in English its Hell. When we think of Hell, we tend to think about: them (in the future); but in the vast majority of Jesus' teachings, Hell was: us (in the present). Heaven & Hell are both true, and both occupied, in the here/now. They are also both true of another place in the future, which is also occupied, by real people. Jesus' emphasis was far, far, far more on one, instead of the other. When you take care of the poor and the afflicted, that is what it means to know God.
Your intentions are just the starting point. Pure motives, and consistent obedience, mixed with focussed intentions, will lead you to a life that cannot be shaken. What are you rationalising today, that you'll regret tomorrow? One yes requires a thousand NO's. You can never beat sin by fighting sin. Instead you beat sin by empowering something else. The power that you give something else overcomes the sin. Have you ever lost your ability to enjoy what God's given you, because you've compared it to somebody else? Can you clearly define what you want?
Are You Worthy (1 of 2) There are four verses in the Bible that say homosexuality's wrong. There are 2000 verses in the Bible that tell us to love each other, so maybe we've got our emphasis wrong? Who is worthy to break the seals, and open the scrolls? But no one in heaven - so there's people already in heaven, who aren't worthy - no one in heaven, or earth, or under the earth, could open the scroll, or even look inside of it.
Jesus' invitation was not to be a certain way, in order to go somewhere. Jesus' invitation was to allow what is somewhere else to be established in you right now. The "Flames of Heaven" is God's relentless pursuit, to make you the best you can be in His kingdom, without taking your free will away. Hell will let you stay greedy, heaven won't; Hell will let you stay racist, heaven won't - lots of fire in heaven.
Jesus' message for His followers is this: get in line with God's kingdom today, as fast as you can, urgently. I urge you to do this. The whole world's at stake.A disciple is someone actively participating with God, to establish His kingdom on the earth
Are You Worthy (2 of 2) Grace, by definition, isn't fair. Heaven consumes in flames any ideas of rank. To avoid the flames of heaven, we have to die to the idea that God must be fair. If heaven invaded your life today, who would you have to accept, that you now see as unacceptable? Jesus described heaven as tormenting to those who don't forgive. Jesus is at the centre, and everybody's equidistant around Him, because no one was worthy to begin with. There's always someone that's done less than me, but Heaven includes us all in a circle.
Heaven is not created by the exclusion of imperfect people, but by the inclusion of imperfect people - by grace cleaning them up, purifying them with the flames of heaven. If heaven invaded our life today, we would be overwhelmed with how much it's not about us, and not care where we ranked; we would simply be overwhelmed with God's presence. Why not let that part of heaven be established in you right now?
Be the Salt and Light There are 6 mentions of fire in hell, but 229 mentions of fire in heaven! If you walked into heaven tomorrow, what parts of you would be burned up? 15 of 18 of Jesus mentions of hell, was about us, here, now. It's about: what are you bringing to the earth? How's your lust problem? How's your anger problem? Do you call people fools? How is fear of man instead of fear of God? What are you bringing to the earth?
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Light, Life & Increase Forgiveness was never the issue. The Torah was given so forgiven people would know how to live, in order to be blessed. Your forgiveness was unconditional, but your blessing was conditional. You could live your whole life forgiven, saved to the bone, born again, child of God, I'll see you in heaven one day - but yet miss the whole blessing; that you live in darkness, disrepair, death. May you never say again: it's because my father ate sour grapes that I'm like this. No, when someone eats sour grapes, they are the ones whose teeth get set on edge.
Fish and Storms God is generous with His grace, but He's also thorough with His discipline. Jonah did not need to be saved from the fish; the fish was prepared by God to save him. God sends storms in our lives - never to pay us back, but always to get us back. Distress is the force that overpowers intellect, theology, rationale or resistance, to drive us back to the person. Sometimes storms are the very thing that save us.
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Leaders Meeting
Pashat, Drash, Remez and Sod (1 of 4) The Hebrew people interpret the Bible through four levels. Pashat is: simple; plain meaning - the cleanest, plainest meaning of the text. Remez is a hint, or an allusion, to something before before it. Drash is a life application, that whatever you find in the Bible, if you cannot apply it, then don't talk about it. Sod is mystery, a realm of Bible interpretation that only the Holy Spirit can reveal to you.
Hebraic Definition of Kingdom (2 of 4)
Shane Willard 2010 (3 of 4)
Shane Willard 2010 (4 of 4)
The Cross and the Resurrection Jesus died on the cross for you, not to just forgive you of your sins, but to empower you to be nice to other people. There's a cross that Jesus bore for us, that we could not bear; and at the same time, there's a cross that He called us to bear, because we can. We look at the case for believing in the resurrection, and then look closely at some of the imagery - the Passover Lamb; and the mixture of blood & water that flowed from Him; the Folded Napkin; and the Dirty Roman Sponge. From Eden, a river called Hope flowed through a land called Suffering. Colloidal Gold gives water a red colour, symbolising that hope.
What do Kingdom people look like? A study of the Beatitudes - Jesus first sermon. A popular new Rabbi, he presents a yoke that is easy, and a burden that is light; He emphases heart attitudes over keeping all the laws. There are a lot of people at the end of the day, who think they're in, but they're actually out. Tzedak (Righteousness) always produces Tzedakah (Generosity, or righteousness-revealed). Jeremiah 22:16 "He took care of the poor and the afflicted, so it is well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me, declares the Lord, your God". The happiest people set their passions on meeting the needs of others.
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Session (1 of 4) Hell We are not called just to go to heaven one day, but to be a minister of the power of the kingdom of God, to everyone you come into contact with. Sometimes the greatest miracle is someone who is angry, and now they're peaceful. You can bring a miracle of kingdom power to your home tonight, by being calm.
Session (2 of 4)
Session (3 of 4)
Session (4 of 4)
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Who is Your Slave Driver Jesus didn't die just to forgive us; Jesus died so we could be slave driver-free: here, now, today. Something is ruling my life other than God; and God steps down, without me deserving it, and He takes the slave driver away.
My only responsibility in that is: faith, and repentance; to change my mind, so that I don't keep going back to the slave driver, over and over and over; that I don't keep opening up my life to the same slave driver.
The Days of Caesar Luke 2:1 - “In the days of Caesar Augustus there went out a decree that: all the world should be taxed.”
What was going on in the world, when God chose to reveal Himself in Jesus?
Bowl or Birthright The most hated man in the whole Bible, by far the most foolish man who ever lived. This guy was basically an honest, hard-working man, who traded everything he could be, for one meal - just beans.
Becoming Less Important Even in Hell, the rich man still thought he was better than the beggar: send Lazarus here to serve me in Hell; send him back to Earth to serve my family.
God is not looking to make ‘rich men’, but a nation of ‘wealthy stewards’, who use their money as God would have them use it - for the glory of God and the kingdom of God.
God would want every one of us to be so wealthy, that other nations would call us ‘blessed’ - but it's not wealth for our sake, so we could build bigger barns to store it, but wealth to take care of the people who can't take care of themselves.
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Hallowed in Secret, Manifested in Public (1 of 4) To develop the Disposition of Messiah, Hallow it in Secret; because what you hallow in secret, you will manifest in public.
What it means to be Born Again (2 of 4) View salvation in a whole new light, as Shane unlocks Hebraic understanding, and what Jesus was trying to communicate to others, on what it truly means to be born again.
The Authority of a Rabbi (3 of 4) Examine the basic concepts of rabbinical authority, our role in coming under the authority of Jesus; and how this authority affected the disciples and Jesus' life.
Healing in the Tassels (4 of 4) Num 15:37 - Throughout the generations to come, you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at, so you will remember all of the commands of the Lord your God; that you may obey them, and not prostitute yourself by going after the lust of your own hearts and eyes.
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