Reflect on your life in relation to the biblical concepts of perfection and greatness. I think the most prominent Biblical example of perfection comes from The mouth of Christ: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48 NIV84)." That would appear to be a tall order! How is it possible as a human to gain perfection? I think think of the words of Paul when it comes to seeking perfection: "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you (Philippians 3:13-15)." Perfection walks hand in hand with maturity; those who seek to make God the number one priority in their life are able to press on towards greatness. Those who are immature, who are not able to readily distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, struggle. I think the goal is not so much that we attain perfection, because I don't think that is humanly possible in this life; instead, I think the goal is that we seek to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. We live in such a way that we are no longer dragged into the ways of the world, but we are compelled to live outside the influence of our cultural norms and worldly values. A life of perfection seek Christ first and foremost, and everything else is subsidiary to this goal.

Reflect on your sense of hope. Do you tend to be optimistic or pessimistic in most areas of life? How does that affect your faith? I think as I look at this topic, I fall into the optimistic category. I think that in the world that we live in, it is very easy to fall into the pessimistic side of hope; when that happens, I think people are more apt to disengage. We can easily come to a place of resignation, telling ourselves "what difference does it make?" The truth is that we must continue to put our hope in Christ! For me, I always come back to the promise found in Christ, that he will never leave me, and that he has overcome this world and all the dark and pessimistic things it throws at me. Christ is ready and willing to lead me in faith, and I have to put my hope and trust in him alone.

Reflect on your response to this lesson. Were there areas of resistance? Were there moments of enlightenment? How will this lesson make a difference in your life and ministry? This particular lesson was on Biblical Ethics, which can be a very tricky area to navigate, especially when the Bible can seem to be saying two different things. I recall watching a media production against California's Proposition 8 banning Gay Marriage. The production, done in the form of a musical, showed the bigoted Christians fighting against the Gays. In the end, Jesus comes in the scene, with a shrimp cocktail. The justification then becomes, if it wasn't all right to eat shrimp, but now it is, the same logic applies in regard to homosexuality. The issue I have with this logic is the lack of context for those justifications. I think the one thing that is important in regard to Biblical Ethics is context and consistency. If a message or ethical decision has what appears to be a contradiction in the scriptural canon, I think it is important to look at the historical context in which a moral value was given. Often times, the context is more revealing for a specific instance, and not for a universal value. I believe that you can point in many ways to ethical values that do not change regardless of historical context, such as the notion in regard to Gay Marriage; others can look at the same passages and come to a different conclusion. Needless to say, this is not an easy task. Interpretation of ethical values are made by individuals with their own notions and biases. Look at all the denominations in the world that claim Christianity, some divided by a single ethical value, like Gay Marriage. Who is right? Who is wrong? It is definitely murky water to tread.

Does your life reflect the joyous party of God’s grace? How can you change? I think my life does reflect the joyous party of God's grace. As I look at my life, where I have come, and where I think I am headed, all that I see is the power of God transforming my life, renewing me into the image that he intends me to be. As a result, I look at my life as a thrill of riding a roller coaster, filled with ups and downs, yet never lacking in fun and adventure. It certainly makes my life very joyful.

Bitterness

Reflect on the power of bitterness when people refuse to forgive. I think bitterness is something that can completely destroy a person. I have seen people who have been wronged (and have every right to feel upset for what has been done wrong to them) who are not able to give up being wronged. Sadly, the inability to forgive in one instance can quickly effect every other relationship one is involved in. If someone is wronged and loses trust in an individual, it can be difficult for that person to find trust in others. Often when we do not forgive, we are showing that we refuse to let go of the situation, and move on. It is like a good quality steak marinade. The longer you let a steak rest in the marinade, the deeper the flavor, the more tender the meat becomes, the more the marinade permeates the entire steak. In the same way, bitterness clings to the soul like a good steak marinade, permeating the entire human being. When this occurs, it jades every perspective in relationship. I guess the greater question to ask when it comes to bitterness is "Where's the Beef?"

Reflect on how this lesson has helped your understanding of many passages of Scripture. In this particular lesson, the faith chapter (Hebrews 11) has really stuck out to me. Each character in the story acted in faith, and they were rewarded for stepping out and following God, even when the outcome was not certain. I think too often we find our self in a place of having very little faith. We look at the struggles of our lives, the difficulties that come our way, and we look around scratching our heads trying to figure out how we can make things happen. So often the way that things come about is when we step back and stop trying to control the situation and let God do his thing. In this chapter, Abraham is mentioned several times for his faith. It wasn't an easy task for Abraham to maintain his faithfulness. Several times he did not rely on God to see him through; his half-truth to Pharaoh in Egypt and taking Hagar to produce an heir both show times where Abraham tried to control the situation when he could have instead relied on God to see him through. I think this example proves that it can be difficult to let go and let God do his thing. Faithfulness requires letting go of the steering wheel and letting God drive us, often in places and situations we never would have driven ourselves.

Write in your journal. Listen to the “Hallelujah Chorus” by Handel. Reflect on all that you feel as you listen. As I listen to this song, I keep coming back to one specific phrase: And He shall reign for ever and ever." I can't help but think that this sums up the entire song, the entire feeling of what life should be. Our lives should be lived in such a way that we bring glory to the name of the one true God who will reign for ever and ever. We, the beneficiaries of God's great mercy and grace, have the opportunity to serve him, to see his Kingdom built, to see him reign for ever and ever as his people. What a great blessing we have!