Psalm 1 (Summer Playlist Series)

Psalm 1 (Summer Playlist Series)

My pastor is taking us through a summer playlist series.  Today, his message is on Psalm 1.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish. - Psalm 1

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.

Psalm 1 is called the "Wisdom Psalm."  There are no commands in Psalm 1 but it mentions two paths:  the blessed path in verse 1 and the perish path in verse 6.

When it comes to our faith, we cannot compromise.  Compromise is sneaky.  It often happens so slowly over time that we don't even realize we are compromising.

At this point in my pastor's sermon, a song comes to mind, Slow Fade by Casting Crowns.  This song accurately shows how we can slowly compromise over time until we have lost our way completely.

Psalm 1 is about keeping a God-focus.  Verses 1-3 describe the Godly.  Verses 4-6 describe the ungodly.

The Godly life in verses 1-3 is not referring to a live without struggles but rather someone who desires to live in the will of God.

The ungodly is someone who pushes God out of his or her life.  This is not necessarily referring to a bad person, but someone who pushes away from God.

Sin starts small and then grows.  Refer back to the slow fade of compromise above.

We all sin, but the Godly will not stand or sit there in sin for long.  Once a person sits in sin, he or she might become too comfortable there.  Then, sin becomes a lifestyle.

Compromise begins small but then grows into a sinful beast.

Look at Psalm 1:2.  What are you delighting in?  Are you delighting in God's Word?  God's Word provides absolutes in a world where there are none.  Psalm 119 tells us that God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

They word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. - Psalm 119:105

The Bible shows us a meaningful view of life in a world lacking meaning.

The Bible tells us the truth in a world built on lies.

Are you building our life and faith on a foundation of rock or on a foundation of sand.

Do you delight in God's Word?

Meditate on God's Word so that it stays with you.  It's there in your mind when you need it.

Psalm 1:4 compares the ungodly life to chaff.  Chaff is the wasted part of grain.  The ungodly lack confidence.  Wickedness will have no confidence before God.  The ungodly path leads to death.

Stay on the path that leads to life, eternal life.  Learn more about how you can have eternal life here.

Read all posts in this series here.

PIN ME!

Psalm 1 (Summer Playlist Series)

What Will the Future Be Like? (Asking for a Friend Series)

We all have an eternity.  We need to think about where we will spend it.

What Will the Future Be Like? (Asking for a Friend Series)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
 
And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”  Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.  He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.  But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. - Revelation 21:1-8

Two things are forever sure:  Future and Forever

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.

What Will the Future Be Like?

You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.

Heaven is in the future and it is forever.  

Heaven will be perfect.  All that Adam and Eve enjoyed before the fall, we will one day enjoy (if we know Jesus).

Heaven will have no sea.  There will be no sin in Heaven.  Nothing bad will be carried with us into Heaven.

Heaven will be an incredible home.  Here, men walk on God and worship gold.  One day, we will walk on gold and worship God.

Heaven is where God will be.  We will live in His presence.  Heaven is a place of comfort.

And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. - Revelation 21:4

This beautiful stone plaque representing Revelation 21:4 is available here.

 

There will be no crying in Heaven, no sadness, so sorrow, and no COVID19.  There will no longer be any struggle with temptation.

There will be no racism and no injustices in Heaven.

In Heaven, we will have new bodies.

In Heaven, we will enjoy absolute satisfaction . . . FOREVER.

We won't go to Heaven by accident.  Heaven is a place prepared for us (those of us who know Jesus).  Heaven is prepared for a prepared people.

The unprepared will go into what the Bible describes as a fiery furnace or Hell.

Hell is also in the future and it is also forever.

Hell wasn't made for you.  Hell was made for the devil and demons.

Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. - Matthew 25:41

We send ourselves to Hell when we decide we do not want Jesus in our lives.

Hell is a place of agony.  Hell is not a party.  It is not a fun place.

Hell is a place of awareness. 

Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.  And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.  Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’  But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’  And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’  But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ - Luke 16:19-30

Both the rich man and the poor man died, but only their locations were changed.  

Hell is a place of absence.  There is no God, no love, no joy, no peace, no mercy, no second chances, and no hope.  You do not want to go there.

How does your now impact your future?  In the Old Testament, Esau gave up his blessing for a bowl of soup.  Don't be Esau.

Both Heaven and Hell are in the future and both are forever.  We need to bring our future into our now.

Do you know Jesus?  Do your children know Jesus?  Peer pressure won't matter in forever.  We need to be aware of how we spend our money and how we treat others.

We need to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Even Satan knows there is a Jesus, but are you willing to put your faith in Jesus and trust Him with your whole life?

Friends, the hour glass is pouring sand and it is pouring fast so let me ask you again . . . do you KNOW Jesus?

You can learn more about genuinely knowing Jesus and trusting Him as your Savior HERE and you can pray to receive him NOW.

Read all posts in this series here.

What Will the Future Be Like? (Asking for a Friend Series)