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Brothers, We Are Not Rock Stars

by Travis Allen

Everyone wants a piece of today’s A-listers. They’re wanted by book publishers, conference organizers, and adoring fans everywhere. In certain circles, some of them have trouble getting around without being noticed.

Just to be clear, I’m not talking about Hollywood, Nashville, or Washington, D.C. I’m talking about the happiest place on earth: Evangelicaland. And to be even more pointed, I’m not talking about “prosperity gospel” heretics or charlatans. I’m talking about respectable Christian leaders—think John Piper, R. C. Sproul, and John MacArthur....

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Questions for January 8th

Hello Doulos!

Thanks for the great interaction last Sunday. I’ll expect more of the same this coming Sunday, especially since the subject raises so many good questions.Here are a few things to think about for Eph. 4:22-24:

If, as 2 Cor. 5:17 teaches, “the old has passed away” (cf. Eph. 4:22) and “behold, the new has come” (Eph. 4:24), why do we need to be renewed in the spirit of our mind (Eph. 4:23)?
What is “the spirit of your mind,” anyway? Does our mind have a spirit, or what?
If the new self is “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness,” why do we still do what is unrighteous and unholy?
What is the purpose of vv. 20-24 in the larger context? How does it help set up Paul’s exhortations in v. 25 and following?

Have fun with those, and I’ll see you Sunday.
Travis

Questions for December 18th

Greetings everyone,

Thanks to all of you who prayed for my health. I’m on the road to recovery—each day is better than the one before—so I should be good to go for Sunday. A special thanks to Don Green for taking the pulpit in my absence.

We’ll be looking at Eph. 4:20-24 this week, which sets the foundation for the commands that follow. Here are a few questions to get the wheels turning:

In v. 20, Paul says, “But that is not the way you learned Christ.” You may think, “Uh, yeah, that’s obvious.” So, what point is Paul making? How do vv. 20-24 relate to vv. 17-19?
How should we take the three verbs of vv. 22-24 (to put off, to be renewed, and to put on), as indicatives or imperatives? That is, are they statements of fact (indicative) or commands (imperative)? Defend your answer.
Related to the previous question, is putting off the old self and putting on the new the continuous practice of the Christian life, or not? Explain your answer.
What other Scripture passages parallel the teaching of v. 24, namely, that we possess a new self “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness”?

That’ll do. See you Sunday, Lord willing!

Travis

Questions for December 4

For this coming Sunday (Dec 4), I’d like to discuss the implications of what we learned in Eph. 4:17-19. So, we’ll begin with some questions, which may take a bit to work through, and then we’ll move into vv. 20-24 with the time that remains.

Here are some of the questions I’ll ask this Sunday regarding Eph. 4:17-19:

1. What major doctrine is taught in this text? What makes that such a foundational doctrine in our understanding of how salvation works?

2. How should this passage affect each one of us personally? In what ways do these verses motivate you to pursue a life of holiness?

3. We talked about the reality of temptation, even being tempted by the sins condemned in these verses. Why does God allow us to struggle with temptations at all? Why doesn’t He simply remove them?

4. Suppose someone professes Christ but lives, to some degree, according to Eph. 4:17-19. How does that person affect the unity of the body (cf. vv. 1-16)? When you see that happening, what would be the “truthing in love” response (v. 16)?

5. How should this text inform our evangelism? How does it inform our assessment of unbelievers?

6. What do these verses teach you about the world and its cultures?

7. If culture is defined as the “intangible aspects of a society, the shared ideals and ways of thinking and living,” how do these verses inform the conversation/debate about the role of worldly culture in the life of the church?

8. As Christians, what does Christ want us to do with culture (indulge, embrace, engage, confront, reject)? Are we able to “redeem” the culture?

Think those questions over this week. If they prompt other questions, that’s great—bring them Sunday and we’ll see if we can talk them through. Have a great week!

Yours in Christ,

Travis

Wasting Time on the Internet

Greetings everyone!

Just as the Internet is a conduit to things both good and bad, using the Internet can be either beneficial or detrimental. That’s the way with every technology and convenience.

So, to confront one struggle exacerbated by using the Internet—wasting time—I thought you might benefit from some of the strategies in this article. Enjoy!

3 Proven Strategies To Keep The Internet From Killing Your Productivity

Travis

Questions for November 27

Hello Doulos,

It’s good to be back in the text with you! I suspected we wouldn’t make too much progress in Eph. 4, but I hope the overview was helpful. We looked at what’s ahead, and we saw how all that is connected with what Paul taught in vv. 1-16.

Pressing on then…here are some questions you can ponder while you’re eating your turkey sandwich.

1. Suppose someone professes Christ but lives, to some degree, according to Eph. 4:17-19. How does that person affect the unity of the body (cf. vv. 1-16)? When you see that happening, what would be the “truthing in love” response (v. 16)?

2. The word “futility” (or “vanity”) calls the book of Ecclesiastes to mind, doesn’t it? It should. Of the 54 times that word appears in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), 39 of them are in Ecclesiastes. If you read the first two chapters of that book, you’ll get the drift of how Paul is using the word here in v. 17.

3. Notice the parallels between Eph. 4:17-19 and Rom. 1:18-28 (e.g., terms, thoughts). Eph. 4:19 says the Gentiles give themselves over to sensuality, but Rom. 1:24, 26, and 28 says God has given them over. How do you reconcile those two passages?

4. Think about the best version of an unbeliever you know. Do vv. 17-19 describe that person? Why or why not?

5. What do vv. 17-19 teach you about worldly culture (culture = the intangible aspects of our society, the shared ideals and ways of thinking and living)? How do these verses inform the conversation/debate about the role of culture in the church?

6. After reading Paul’s exposé on unbelieving patterns of thinking and conduct, it can be disheartening to acknowledge our own attraction to those vile things. Why does God allow us to struggle with the temptations? Why doesn’t He simply remove them?

Happy studying, and Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I look forward to being with you Sunday.

Travis

Questions for November 20th

Greetings Doulos!

Ready to get back into the text? Here we go. Start by reading Ephesians 4:17-32, the section we’ll cover over the next few weeks. This week we’ll consider vv. 17-19. Here are a few questions to get you started.

1. A number of Bible versions translate the Greek word for “therefore” literally (the ESV doesn’t; it renders the word as “now” instead of “therefore”).

“Therefore” connects this section to Paul just said, and picks up on the “worthy walk” theme from v. 1. How does the gentile lifestyle described in vv. 17-19 undermine the pattern in vv. 1-16?

2. We are all familiar with the sinful lifestyles we used to live, right? (See Eph. 2:1-3.) So, why do you think Paul takes the time to elaborate on the thinking and the lifestyle of the unbeliever in such detail in vv. 17-19?

3. The word “futility” (or “vanity”) calls the book of Ecclesiastes to mind, doesn’t it? It should. Of the 54 times that word appears in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), 39 of them are in Ecclesiastes. If you read the first two chapters of that book, you’ll get the drift of how Paul is using the word here in v. 17.

4. Think about the best version of an unbeliever you know. Does this section, vv. 17-19, describe that person? Why or why not?

5. What do vv. 17-19 teach you about worldly culture? How do these verses inform the conversation/debate about the role of culture in the church?

Enjoy your study, even as I’m enjoying mine. I’ll see you all Sunday. I’m looking forward to a healthy, profitable, and perhaps even lively discussion of this powerful section of Scripture.

Yours in Christ,

Travis

Doulos and the GCC Founders

Hello everyone,

This Lord’s Day we have the special privilege of hosting some of the founding members of Grace Community Church in Doulos. You know how we’ve been learning about the Master’s plan for His church from Eph. 4:1-16? Well, these people have lived it, and they’re ready to debrief with us.

It’s going to be a great day, filled with joy, encouragement, and gratitude for all the Lord accomplished through some very normal, faithful saints, just like you and me.

See you Sunday!

Warmly in Christ,

Travis

Questions for October 9th

Fellow Douloi,

Time permitted us to get through two of three points in Eph. 4:15 last week—(1) leave the way of error, and (2) live the way of truth. I’ll have a few more things to say about that second point this coming Sunday, and then we’ll get into v. 16. (My final point for last week, (3) look to Christ, I’ll incorporate into the message on v. 16.)

So, read Eph. 4:15-16 (you probably have the section memorized by now, right?), and then take a stab at these questions:

1. Verse 15 says “we are to grow up in every way into [Christ]”—“in every way” has far-reaching implications for our lives, right? It means Christ intends to leave no aspect of our lives untouched.
     a. How would you describe the mentality that’s required for us to embrace Christ’s immediate purpose for our lives?
     b. What helps you accept/embrace that mindset?
     c. What hinders you from accepting/embracing that mindset?

2. Verse 16 says “the whole body [is] joined and held together by every joint,” which speaks of our condition of unity (cf. vv. 4-6).
     a. What does Paul imply (admit? testify to?) in the qualifying phrase, “when each part is working properly”?
     b. What other verses have we covered that support what Paul may be implying with that phrase?
     c. What is required for each part to work properly?
     d. What do we do when a part is not working properly?

3. What does this verse teach us about church growth? How would you contrast that with things you’ve observed in the Church Growth Movement?

4. From v. 16, how would you answer someone who asked you, “Who is responsible for growing the church?”

There you go. Give that a go, and you’ll be ready for Sunday. (Anyone care to post their answers on Facebook.com/gccdoulos?)

Grace and peace to you all,

Travis

Questions for October 2nd - Ephesians 4:15-16

Okay, everyone, here we go!

We’re looking at Ephesians 4:15-16 this Sunday (and next), so you’ll want to read those verses. Here are a few questions to prime the pump.

1. In v. 15, the word translated “speaking the truth” is actually not limited to speaking; a wooden literal translation would be “truthing.” How does the idea of “truthing" go beyond simply how we speak to one another?

2. Why is the phrase “in love” such a vital qualification to this idea of “speaking the truth” (or “truthing")?

3. Paul says we are to grow up “in every way” into Christ. What are some ways you sense the need to grow up and mature in Christ as an individual Christian? What are some ways we need to grow up and mature in Christ as a corporate body of Christians?

4. According to v. 16, being joined and held together is just as vital to our growth as remaining connected to Christ. Practically, how do we stay joined and held together?

That’s a decent start, I think. I’ll look forward to hearing what you’ve come up with!

Have a great week , and I’ll see you all this coming Lord’s Day.

Warmly in Christ,

Travis