Jesus: A Foundation, or a Stumbling Block: Isaiah 8-11
It's Monday-- what better way to start your week than with a coffee and Scripture?
Welcome to the Daily Bible Podcast Coffee Club!
We’re Tricia and Michelle, two friends inviting you to join us in reading through the Bible chronologically this year. These daily emails are meant to be a cozy companion to your morning coffee and the Daily Bible Podcast.
We hope you’ll stick around!
Word of the Day Espresso Shot
Word of the Day: Stumble
Consider something as simple as water.
When used correctly, water is an enormous blessing. It’s a sustainer of life and a necessity. It’s a way to wash off dirt, clean floors, grow a garden, mix fresh lemonade on a hot summer day, or baptize a new believer in Jesus.
But in other situations, water can cause serious problems. Drinking too much water can be damaging or even fatal. Water can drown someone, flood a house, or become contaminated.
As Tricia pointed out in today’s podcast, Jesus is the same way. For those who want Him as the foundation of their life, He is everything— peace, joy, and redemption with Father God. But for those who reject Him, or decide to focus on “being perfect” and “following the rules” more than a relationship with Jesus—- Jesus’ seemingly backwards grace and love is a stumbling block.
Today’s Challenge
What is Jesus for you— is He your firm foundation, or your stumbling block? You may be quick to answer, “Of course He’s not my stumbling block!” but carefully consider your life. Is there any area of your life where you feel like you “know better” than Jesus? Prayerfully consider if you allow Jesus to be King over all of your life. And if not— simply repent and turn away! Jesus’ amazing grace is for you!
Memory Verse
“Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:22-24
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Today’s Coffee Chat
What are the biggest dangers to your relationship with Jesus? Is it simply getting too busy and distracted? Perhaps you idolize your children instead of focusing on God?
Going Deeper than a Venti: Reflection and Journal Prompt
The juxtaposition of Jesus as a stumbling block can be somewhat confusing. As seen in the verses quoted in today’s podcast, this idea resurfaces several times in the Bible, so it deserves deeper thought and study.
One of the times this theme resurfaces is in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.”
Answers in Genesis explores what this phrase means by looking into a sermon Peter gave in Acts 2— in which he would have preached the Gospel to a group of Jews. Ken Ham explains it this way:
“There is no doubt that the people Peter preached to already had the foundational knowledge of the gospel. They believed in the Creator God and understood sin and its penalty of death. Yet these people, by and large, did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah.
Peter didn’t have to convince them concerning the truth of creation. He didn’t have to convince Jews that there was such a thing as sin. He didn’t have to convince them that the Holy Scripture was God’s infallible Word. The problem they had was not accepting that Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh and was the Messiah. This was their stumbling block.
From a human perspective, Peter, therefore, had to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah, and that His death and resurrection were vital to their salvation. It was only by accepting what Christ did on the cross that they could have their sins forgiven.
Let me digress for a moment. In this and the next chapter, I will discuss how Peter needed to convince the Jews of some point, or Paul needed to convince the Greek philosophers concerning biblical truths. However, even though these men would do all they could to convince their hearers of truth, from God’s perspective we know that He is really the One who opens their heart so that they will listen and understand.”
Concepts like this are important for us as Christians to consider, especially because they may help us evangelize today. It can sometimes be harder to convince someone with some knowledge or experience with God to accept Jesus as Savior— than to witness to someone who has never stepped foot in church. A wrong, or incomplete understanding of Jesus does no one good.
Pray that you will have a full understanding of the Gospel so that you’ll be able to communicate it clearly to others.
Journal Prompt
Write out your understanding of how Jesus, and the Cross, can be a stumbling block. How would you explain this to someone who wasn’t a believer?
Extra Flavor Shot
How is Jesus a stumbling block?
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