Jason Sneed Foundation Verses

Foundation Verse #1 – Genesis 1:1

Today we begin our journey as we look to dig deeper into God’s Word and to lay a foundation of what we believe. In my last post about the Foundation Verses, I challenged you to join me and to memorize these verses so that we can do what I Peter 3:15 tells us to do –

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

So, are you ready? Here we go…

Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

genesis-1-1-bible-lock-screenIn the movie The Sound of Music, there is a song that many of us have heard before and I believe these words are true for our first foundation verse. The words of this song say,

Let’s start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with A-B-C
When you sing you begin with do-re-mi

As we look at this verse, it is imperative that we “start at the beginning” and know Genesis 1:1. It was God that created everything – not man nor was it a “big band” – IT WAS GOD!

Hebrews 11:3 tells us,

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

I love that when God speaks – things happen!

Warren Weirsbe say the following about Genesis 1:1,

When you consider the acts of God recorded in Genesis 1:1, you can’t help but bow in reverent worship, for His creative acts reveal a God of power and wisdom whose word carries authority.

In the beginning, GOD!

Follow Up Verses: Psalm 33:9, Romans 4:17

Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

Weekly Points To Ponder – July 17, 2014

Points To Ponder

“Pastor John, do you believe there is a difference between film nudity versus pornography? I know many Christians who are against porn, but they have no issue watching movies or TV shows that show graphic nudity.” A young woman named Emily recently e-mailed this question to the Ask Pastor John inbox.

A day later, Adam e-mailed to ask: “Pastor John, what would you say to a Christian who watches the cable TV show Game of Thrones?” This is a television series rated TV-MA, and has become rather infamous for its explicit nudity and sex scenes, and for graphic scenes of rape and sexual violence against women. Game of Thrones is now the most popular series in HBO history, with an average audience of 18.4 million viewers.

What follows is a slightly edited transcript of John Piper’s response in today’s episode of Ask Pastor John.

Read Full Article…

Secularists are attacking a major Christian ministry for telling children they are sinners, as reported by Christian Today. Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) has been evangelizing children for more than 75 years through various means, the most notable being its Good News Clubs, which normally meet in homes, community centers, and schools. Another famous CEF program is the Wordless Book, a booklet that shares the salvation message using the colors black, red, white, gold, and green.

More than ever, many secularists are deliberately and aggressively targeting our children and Christian ministries that teach the truth of God’s Word to children—and for a reason! They are going after the hearts and minds of this and coming generations, and if they continue to do so successfully, they’ll win the culture.

Read Full Article…

Looking for the top Bible Apps for Study, Fun and Devotions? We assembled a short top 10 list of Bible Apps for IOS & Android devices that will help you grow in knowledge of the Word of God. You can take God’s Word wherever you go and make a daily effort to spend time with Him.

Check out the 10 Apps…

It’s been a while since I’ve seen MTV, but I was flabbergasted. I could not believe the sensuality and decadence I witnessed. Gail and I finally had to turn it off. We just couldn’t take it any more.

As I thought about my experience later, it made me sad. I am the father of five daughters. So perhaps I’m just a little overly sensitive. But I was shocked at the complete absence of modesty, the ridicule of virginity, and the latent misogyny displayed by Russell Brand and many of the artists themselves.

One of the few redeeming moments in the evening was when Jordin Sparks, referring to Brand’s contempt for chastity, said,

I just have one thing to say about promise rings: It’s not bad to wear a promise ring, because not everybody, guy or girl, wants to be a slut.”

Read Full Article…

Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

Weekly Points To Ponder – June 20, 2014

Points To Ponder

Should We Pray for Revival? – desiringGod.org

Ours is not the first generation to recognize the spiritual declension among us, or to see the need for God to awaken his church and touch our land. From the saints of the Old Testament to leaders in our time, prayer for revival has marked believers who understand the need for the Spirit surpasses our ability and intelligence.

Read full article…

 3 in 4 in U.S. Still See the Bible as Word of God – Gallup.com

PRINCETON, NJ — Twenty-eight percent of Americans believe the Bible is the actual word of God and that it should be taken literally. This is somewhat below the 38% to 40% seen in the late 1970s, and near the all-time low of 27% reached in 2001 and 2009. But about half of Americans continue to say the Bible is the inspired word of God, not to be taken literally — meaning a combined 75% believe the Bible is in some way connected to God. About one in five Americans view the Bible in purely secular terms — as ancient fables, legends, history, and precepts written by man — which is up from 13% in 1976.

Read full article…

7 Biblical Tests for Christians and Music – TheExchange.com

Christians disagree about music style as much as any other issue in the body of Christ. More than likely, you’ve experienced this firsthand. As I’ve already written, conflicts over music have been common through out church history. Christians have listened to and enjoyed all of kinds of music. But should they?

In seeking to determine what is the right music for a church, it’s important that we use biblical principles in our evaluation. That’s not always easy—the Bible doesn’t contain music notes. God never gives us His musical preferences.
While it may be difficult, I do believe it’s possible to evaluate musical preferences using God’s word. The following seven tests each relate to biblical principles that we can apply to our music to determine its suitability.

Read Full Article…

Salvation Before the Cross – Answers In Genesis

How were people saved before Jesus Christ died on the Cross? The answer is easy, once you realize that nothing happens by chance—the solution was already in place even before the world began.

The Bible record presents two dominant themes: promise and fulfillment. Over and again we see God promising and then, true to His word, fulfilling. Even at the very beginning, when the fall of man first brought sin and death into the world, God graciously promised that one day Christ would step into history, as a “lamb . . . foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:19–20), to shed His blood to save a fallen humanity.

Read Full Article…

GREAT RESOURCE – Proverbial Thought (Amazon.com)

Proverbial Thought is a collection of commentary and personal reflection on the wisdom of each and every individual proverb through the entire book of Proverbs. However, the commentary and personal reflection contained in this work are in no way exhaustive. For that matter, even if we were to attempt to plumb the depths of Proverbs, “the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (John 21:25). It is up to you, the reader, how to use this book (and the ones to follow). You could use it as a devotional, reading an entry a day as you seek to start your day in the wisdom of the Lord. You could use it as an additional commentary as you study God’s Word for a lesson or sermon. You could even use it to gain insight into that occasionally difficult passage that has you stumped. But no matter how you use it, always make sure to first ask the Holy Spirit for enlightenment when you study Scripture.