SESSION 10 BUILDING DEEP Biblical Foundation 十課「深く建てる」聖書的な基礎 BUILDING DEEP Biblical Foundation When we have weak foundations, we will live shallow lives. Many miss the call of God to live deeper lives. We gravitate towards instant growth, within the shortest possible time. The shallowness of our generation is particularly seen in our shallowness in the Word of God. No deep roots. No deep foundations. This session is about laying a solid foundation in our lives. It calls for a deep life. It renounces life without depth. It examines the foundation of the Word of God as the most necessary cornerstone for true spirituality. We have itching ears. Compromised by spiritual consumerism, many Christians opt for the convenience of church-hopping, programme-shopping and sermoncopying. Engaging daily with the Word is a painstaking discipline for which many are not willing to pay the price. We give but cursory and superficial attention to the Word. Yet when we live according to the truth of God's Word, we will be transformed! But we first need to return to God. And to devote ourselves afresh to His Word. Taking it in and living it out. For Truth does not change lives. It is TRUTH APPLIED that changes lives! The Word is not merely good thoughts to appreciate but necessary truths to apply. Not mere reflections but marvellous realities! This is the essence of a deep life in God. For spiritual maturity is a mixed journey. It is a pilgrimage of many painful trials; and yet, also of God's manifold grace. The presence of God makes all the difference. We are not merely invited to make casual visits into God's presence, but to have permanent residency. And abiding in the Word is the anchor! What then is a solid foundation? It is certainly not sand. That which is built on shifting sand will not stand the test of time. Thus, those who seek to build must decide on the quality of the material. If the edifice is to last for posterity, then the greatest care is needed, the choicest of material is chosen and the most painstaking construction is undertaken. Only then will it be built to last. Wisdom is living life through the eyes of God, a perspective which is offered to us in the encounters of the Scripture. When we see as God sees, we will do as God says. And when we do as God says, we will see as God sees. Thomas Kempis wrote in The Imitation of Christ: “Without this Word no man understands or judges aright.” What is the foundation of your life? Upon what are you building? Give time and attention to build to last a life of devotion upon the Word. For building such a deep and lasting foundation is a non-negotiable call in radical discipleship! DAY 1 Our Human Weakness Building On Sand (Matt 7:24-27) 1. What exactly does Jesus mean by “building on sand”? 2. What did Jesus liken to “building on rock”? 3. How can we build a strong foundation in the Word of God? 4. In 2-3 short sentences, summarise your take-home lesson. 一日目人間の弱さ砂の上に建てる（マタイの福音書 7・24‐27） 1. 「砂の上に建てる」とは、イエスは実際に何を意味していますか？ 2. 「岩の上に建てる」という言葉で、イエスは何をたとえていますか？ 3. 私たちはどうすれば、神様のことばに強い基礎を建てることができますか？ 4. 短い文章（二、三行）で習ったことをまとめてみましょう。 DAY 2 The Resulting Problem Life Without Depth (Matt 13:3-9, 18-23) 1. What does the passage tell us about the different kinds of soil (hearts) and their effects on the fruitfulness of the Word in our lives? 2. In contrast, Psalm 119:9-16 reflects a strong pursuit of the Word. What qualities characterised the psalmist's pursuit? 3. In what practical ways can we cultivate a strong pursuit of the Word in our own lives? What would be the evidence(s) of such a life? 4. In 2-3 short sentences, summarise your take-home lesson. 二日目それによって生じる問題深みのない人生（マタイの福音書 13・3-9、18-23） 1. それぞれ違った種類の土地（心）とその影響が、私たちの人生の中に、みことばの実りとしてどう影響しているかについて、この文書は何を教えていますか？ 2. それとは対照的に、詩篇 119・9-16 では、みことばに対する強い追求が見られます。詩篇の作者の追求には、どのような特徴がありますか？ 3. 自分の生活で、みことばに対する強い追求を育てるために、どんな実用的な方法があるのでしょうか？そして、そのような人生である証拠は何でしょうか？ 4. 短い文章（二、三行）で習ったことをまとめてみましょう。 DAY 3 The Radical Re-Orientation The Non-Negotiable Foundation (Ps 119:89-96) 1. List four characteristics of the Word of God revealed in this passage. 2. What does the psalmist mean when he says that the precepts of God give life (v93)? What is the chief implication of this for your life? 3. How can we stay true to the Word in the midst of painful afflictions? 4. In 2-3 short sentences, summarise your take-home lesson. 三日目ラジカルな方針転換交渉の余地がない基礎（詩篇 119・89-96） 1. この聖書箇所から分かる、神様のことばの特徴を四つ述べましょう。 2. 神様の戒めは人を生かすと詩篇の作者が言っていますが（節 93）、作者は何を意味していますか？そして、このことばは、あなたの人生に対して、どんな意味を持ちますか？ 3. 色々な辛い悩みなどの中で、私たちはどうすれば、神様のことばに従うことができますか？ 4. 短い文章（二、三行）で習ったことをまとめてみましょう。 DAY 4 The Critical Need The Living Word of the Living God (2 Tim 3:16-17) 1. What does Paul tell us about the Scripture? What particular aspect of the description speaks to you the most? Why? 2. How is the Word of God “profitable” to equip us for every good work? 3. Is the discipline of the Word reflected in your daily living? What structures do you need to put in your life to strengthen that discipline so that it becomes a delight? 4. In 2-3 short sentences, summarise your take-home lesson. 四日目重大な必要生きている神の、生きていることば（II テモテ 3・16-17） 1. パウロは、聖書について私たちに何を教えていますか？この文書の描写の中では、どんなところが自分に一番響きますか？それはなぜですか？ 2. 神様のことばは、どのようにすべての良い働きのために私たちを整えることに「有益」ですか？ 3. 聖書の鍛錬は自分の日常生活に影響を与えていますか？その鍛錬が喜びとになるように、自分の生活に聖書の鍛錬を強化するためには、どんな枠組みが必要ですか？ 4. 短い文章（二、三行）で習ったことをまとめてみましょう。 DAY 5 The Empowered Life of Roots and Wings Living By Principles (Mark 2:23-28) 1. What principle was Jesus highlighting in this passage? 2. Is your life lived more by precepts (do's and don'ts) or more by principles (truths)? In what ways is this so? 3. How can we grow to be more principle-centred in our lives and ministry? 4. In 2-3 short sentences, summarise your take-home lesson. 五日目根と翼によって力づけられた生活原則で生きる（マルコの福音書 2・23-28） 1. この文書では、イエスは何の原則を強調していますか？ 2. あなたの人生は、教訓（ルール）によって生きることが多いですか？それとも原理原則（真実）によって生きることが多いですか？どのようなときに、そうしますか？ 3. 私たちの人生と奉仕の中で、もっと原則が中心になるようにするには、どうすればいいですか？ 4. 短い文章（二、三行）で習ったことをまとめてみましょう。 WORDS OF WISDOM The Living Word of the Living God The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8 Dr. Will H. Houghton used to say, “Lay hold of the Bible until the Bible lays hold of you.” Martin Luther went much further when he said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me.” No matter what ministry the Lord has assigned to you, you can't succeed apart from the Word of God. Warren Wiersbe What is largely missing... today is a sense of context, of saying or doing anything that is intended or even expected to live beyond the moment. There is no culture in the world that is so obsessed as ours with immediacy. In our journalism the trivial displaces the momentous because we tend to measure the importance of events by how recently they happened. We have become so obsessed with facts that we have lost all touch with truth. Ted Koppel In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. Saint Augustine of Hippo But it's been my experience that very few ministries divide over doctrine. Most differences among Christians centre on personalities, methods of ministry, allocation of funds, and other noteworthy but non-doctrinal matters. Warren Wiersbe Your heart grows by giving out, but your mind grows by taking in; and both are necessary to a happy and balanced life of service. Christian workers who don't read aren't taking in fuel for the mind and food for the soul, and they end up tring to spin out their ministry like a spider's web. Bees have a much better approach. They gather pollen from many sources but manufacture their own honey. Most people prefer honey to spiders' webs. Warren Wiersbe If you can leave your church on Sunday morning with no feeling of discomfort, of conviction, of brokenness, of challenge, then for you the hour of worship has not been as dangerous as it should have been. The ease with which we go on being Christian sentimentalists is one of our worst faults. Paul Stromberg Rees