by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
What does 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 teach about sober-mindedness? It teaches us to think about what compels us or controls us—Is it the love of Christ, demonstrated by his bondage-destroying death and resurrection of sinners’ behalf OR is it something else, like:...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
So first, to be on guard against irrational thinking, one must have sound judgment. That implies there is a standard by which it can be determined if one’s judgment is sound or not. As Christians, we have the exclusive privilege of knowing the standard—God’s...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
On what basis does David request the undeserved treatment, highlighted in Ps. 51:1? Is it based on his repentance, his pretty good track record overall, his position in the kingdom? It’s none of those things, rather it’s on the basis on God’s faithful, covenant...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 25, 2020 | Uncategorized
Upon reading through passages like Psalm 50, the question is often raised: What are some indicators that one’s allegiance or worship or devotion to God is NOT merely lip service? First of all, we come to God always from a disposition of being a receiver. We must not...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 46:1-7, the Psalmist puts forth that God is our refuge, strength and stronghold in order that we may not fear. However, one of the implications is that no one learns the heights of the greatness of God’s power and protection in those ways until it is...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 43:4, the Psalmist refers to God as his exceeding joy. The question often arises: Does having God as our exceeding joy exclude having other desires or even finding a measure of joy in other things? No, but the way to tell what rules your heart is to assess...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
Why does Paul put the spotlight on regeneration in Galatians 6:15? It’s because of how it sharply contrasts with circumcision: 1. Regeneration is an inward work of the heart that no one can see, although the results of it can be seen; 2. It’s a sovereign work...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 27, 2020 | Uncategorized
What do we need to do when our thoughts attempt to sink us into despair? The first thing to do is to identify the proper object of hope. We saw it in the first exhortation the Psalmist gives to his soul in Ps.42:5—Hope in God. What we need to understand about this...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 24, 2020 | Uncategorized
Wisdom speaks God’s mind in God’s ways, whereas folly is spoken from a position of personal offense with self-exalting motivations. Wisdom cannot come from a disposition of self-centeredness and neither can justice or fairness or upholding a standard that is outside...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
Ps. 37:12 begins to shed more light upon the situation about which David is writing. The difficulty in navigating this world is not just that the wicked do evil, but that the wicked develops evil plots against God’s people out of hatred for God’s people. That is...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
A crucial conclusion of Paul’s teaching from the 2nd half of 1st Corinthians 1 is this: Because the gospel is foolishness to the natural person, when someone does get saved that is evidence of God’s power because there’s no other possible explanation that one...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
Notice where David turns in Ps. 34:4–he sought the Lord. David goes to the only source of help when our souls are weighed down with fear. How quickly and comprehensively we cast our cares upon the Lord and his truth is determinative of how faithful we will be...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
We should compare the beginning of Ps. 34:10 with the wording of vv.1-2—those who persist in wickedness have many sorrows or inner pains of anguish in stark contrast to the true happiness of the one who turns from sin and finds forgiveness. But David supplies another...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
In this time, it is important to speak the truth in love to your Christian friends who are caught up in worldly ideologies. The Apostle Paul writes in Gal. 6:1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
David found out just how dependent he really was on God, as is described in final part of Psalm 30:7. All it takes is God to hide his face or withhold his favor or to create a little bit a distance and David is absolutely terrified, especially because of the severe...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 27, 2020 | Uncategorized
The comprehensive cost Jesus is referring to is made explicit at the very end of Luke 14:26, in that following Christ entails a hatred of one’s entire existence. Keep in mind that hating one’s life is not an attempt to throw an increasingly larger pity party, for that...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 19, 2020 | Uncategorized
When we hear the word compassion we most often think of it in a context of suffering. We must be honest that it’s a lot easier to be compassionate for someone who is suffering, but what about someone who has wronged us, which is the context surrounding Eph. 4:32. ...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
In light of the love Jesus calls his people to in Luke 6:32-36, what is the disposition of your heart towards those who boast over you or who trample your kindness or who constantly misinterpret your words and motives? Are you able to turn from and eradicate unloving...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 4, 2020 | Uncategorized
As we continue to refresh our thinking about what is fundamental in the life of the church, here is a helpful question to begin with: What does Jesus point to as the key factor in identifying a group of his disciples?—”Others will know that you are my disciples...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 27, 2020 | Uncategorized
It’s likely that because of our lengthy time away from each other, we might feel the sacrifice of gathering together more than we have in the past. What kind of sacrifice exactly? There are at least 3 kinds: 1) The sacrifice of preparation–It takes great...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 25:20, David asked the Lord to guard him and then in v.21, he uses a synonymous verb to say that his integrity and uprightness guards him. Which is it that guards him?—God or his character. Both! We know that God’s power is ultimately the cause of any...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
We can begin with a conclusion after working through vv.1-6 of Ps.24: Due to God’s holy requirements, it’s only God’s who can enable a sinner to draw near to worship. Now what’s so important for us to understand is the magnitude of might that it takes for God...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 7, 2020 | Uncategorized
Does our definition of acceptable worship unto God include what is found in Psalm 24:4, namely having clean hands and a pure heart? It’s very sad, highly detrimental and incredibly deceiving that we have wrongly defined worship as getting a multitude of people in a...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 31, 2020 | Uncategorized
When thinking about the all-encompassing shepherding Christ supplies His sheep, the question that should be on our minds is: What took place to gain sinners this kind of privileged status? For that answer, we can go to the end of John 10:15 to find a restatement of...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 24, 2020 | Uncategorized
As David thinks over who the Lord is for him and what the Lord has done for him, he comes to one conclusion at the beginning of Psalm 23:6—most certainly goodness and mercy will pursue him all of his days. Goodness is anything that enhances someone’s welfare,...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
The ridicule Christ experienced while dying on the cross was not only cruel, but it contained the most twisted and perverted assessments of reality, coupled with some of the greatest expressions of unbelief ever to be uttered on the face of the earth. For example, in...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 9, 2020 | Uncategorized
As we study David’s life-threatening circumstances in Ps. 22, we will probably be provoked to raise this question: What’s the purpose of the waiting and the human sensation of distance from God? Does our God just enjoy suspense, while watching his people squirm? OR...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
In other to prepare us for a major theme we will study in the final portion of Psalm 19, consider this question: Why has God revealed himself in Scripture? In other words, what is the intention of his revelation based upon all those wonderful attributes of truth that...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Feb 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
Apparently, the author of Ps. 119 prizes the word to the same extent as David does in Ps. 19:7. Listen to this sampling—Ps. 119:25 My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!…28 My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Feb 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
An implication which proceeds from Ps.16 is that it’s impossible to trust in God for an eternal security of our souls if we aren’t trusting in him for a present security of our souls. In other words, there is no way to have certainty that God will be our refuge when...
