What is your least favorite thing about reading the Bible?
Focus 3 | Revealed in Canon
God wants you to get to know him like he knows you, and so he has revealed himself objectively in the words of Scripture.
Let's talk about receipts.
Listen to this clip when you’re ready to begin today’s Spotlight.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
Listen to this clip when you’re ready to begin today’s Spotlight.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
See what this Spotlight—and series— is focused on.
Tap on the words "Focus 3" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.
Tap on the words "Focus 3" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.
Try not to laugh as the work of James Fridman shows you how helpful and important it is to be specific.
James Fridman has captured the art of finding loopholes in the literal. He's a graphic designer who has earned a reputation on social media for taking photoshop requests to extremely literal lengths. (Sometimes quite lengthy…)
James always honors the requests he receives. He delivers a product that is 100% accurate to the order that was put into him, though also one that is 100% not at all what the petitioner asked.
It's tempting to wonder if God is playing a "James Fridman" on the world. It's well-known that there's this thing called the Bible and that the book claims to be the messages and words of God, but how much wiggle-room has he left between the words? Does he really mean for readers to take it literally? Different teachers and religious authorities have attempted to explain and interpret the "Words of God," but is the message that consumers hear when they read Scripture actually the message God intended?
It's a scary question because so much hinges on those words. If the message that Bible followers have been believing since the Bible's canonization in the late 4th century AD (and really, since Moses wrote the Pentateuch almost two thousand years before that) isn't the actual message that God intended, then how much undoing needs to happen? Perhaps worse yet, how can a person know what actually is the word of God? Perhaps worst of all, these questions come from the challenge that faith always brings: Are these words God's, or are they just another cultural tall tale that got a too big for its own good?
That's the fear. The reality, however, comes in God's intent. God didn't give Scripture to his people to troll them, but he also didn't give it to answer every question and conclusively prove his existence. He gave you the BIble because he doesn't want you to have to guess about the most important solution to the most important problem that exists. One of the early Apostles whom God tapped to write some of the Bible summed up the "why" for God giving Scripture: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31) That story, the story of the messiah, is what's being revealed in the Bible.
God has a specific story to tell—the story of Jesus, and the Bible is his way of telling it. He wants his people to know as much of his plan to save them by eradicating sin as human brains can conceive. He's packed the Bible with specifics: prophecies, parables, historical accounts, direct statements, eyewitness evidence, and even poetry, all bound together to fill the space between the words and close the loopholes. In doing this, he wants you to now: He wins. There is a solution to the problem of sin and evil in the world, and it is a good one.
James Fridman has captured the art of finding loopholes in the literal. He's a graphic designer who has earned a reputation on social media for taking photoshop requests to extremely literal lengths. (Sometimes quite lengthy…)
James always honors the requests he receives. He delivers a product that is 100% accurate to the order that was put into him, though also one that is 100% not at all what the petitioner asked.
It's tempting to wonder if God is playing a "James Fridman" on the world. It's well-known that there's this thing called the Bible and that the book claims to be the messages and words of God, but how much wiggle-room has he left between the words? Does he really mean for readers to take it literally? Different teachers and religious authorities have attempted to explain and interpret the "Words of God," but is the message that consumers hear when they read Scripture actually the message God intended?
It's a scary question because so much hinges on those words. If the message that Bible followers have been believing since the Bible's canonization in the late 4th century AD (and really, since Moses wrote the Pentateuch almost two thousand years before that) isn't the actual message that God intended, then how much undoing needs to happen? Perhaps worse yet, how can a person know what actually is the word of God? Perhaps worst of all, these questions come from the challenge that faith always brings: Are these words God's, or are they just another cultural tall tale that got a too big for its own good?
That's the fear. The reality, however, comes in God's intent. God didn't give Scripture to his people to troll them, but he also didn't give it to answer every question and conclusively prove his existence. He gave you the BIble because he doesn't want you to have to guess about the most important solution to the most important problem that exists. One of the early Apostles whom God tapped to write some of the Bible summed up the "why" for God giving Scripture: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31) That story, the story of the messiah, is what's being revealed in the Bible.
God has a specific story to tell—the story of Jesus, and the Bible is his way of telling it. He wants his people to know as much of his plan to save them by eradicating sin as human brains can conceive. He's packed the Bible with specifics: prophecies, parables, historical accounts, direct statements, eyewitness evidence, and even poetry, all bound together to fill the space between the words and close the loopholes. In doing this, he wants you to now: He wins. There is a solution to the problem of sin and evil in the world, and it is a good one.
Praise God for how much he is worth (as is shown by the receipt he's provided.)
"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
John 20:31
If the Bible is an accurate quote of and receipt for God's work of removing sin, evil, and death so that all people could have "life in his name," then it makes sense that people respond to it by worshiping.
(A quick aside here: The word worship means to "show how worthy something is." When a person worships God, it is kind of like they're holding up the quote and receipt from him and saying, "Look how valuable what he's done for me is!" The cool thing is that the story of the Bible is actually the story of God finding you so valuable he gave his only son to save you—God shows what he thinks you're worth!)
The song, "The Cost" is a worship song. In it, you're invited to look at God, assess what he's done, and decide if he's worth it. (The song's writers come to the conclusion that he is.) You'll get a chance to dive into the words of the song a little later, but as you listen to it now, reflect on what it means to be "sold" on the idea that God is worth it. This video casts this whole idea in an interesting light because it pairs the song with Christians who, around the world, are persecuted for their faith. Worship—that is, really saying what you think God is worth—takes on an entirely different meaning when you might be killed for it.
Watch this video and consider the words as you listen to the song.
"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
John 20:31
If the Bible is an accurate quote of and receipt for God's work of removing sin, evil, and death so that all people could have "life in his name," then it makes sense that people respond to it by worshiping.
(A quick aside here: The word worship means to "show how worthy something is." When a person worships God, it is kind of like they're holding up the quote and receipt from him and saying, "Look how valuable what he's done for me is!" The cool thing is that the story of the Bible is actually the story of God finding you so valuable he gave his only son to save you—God shows what he thinks you're worth!)
The song, "The Cost" is a worship song. In it, you're invited to look at God, assess what he's done, and decide if he's worth it. (The song's writers come to the conclusion that he is.) You'll get a chance to dive into the words of the song a little later, but as you listen to it now, reflect on what it means to be "sold" on the idea that God is worth it. This video casts this whole idea in an interesting light because it pairs the song with Christians who, around the world, are persecuted for their faith. Worship—that is, really saying what you think God is worth—takes on an entirely different meaning when you might be killed for it.
Watch this video and consider the words as you listen to the song.
In that "receipts" portion of the Bible (the New Testament, after the Gospels tell the story of Jesus) a man named Paul reflected on what he thought God was worth with these words:
Read these words aloud—together—if you're doing this Spotlight in a group.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss
because of the surpassing worth
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whose sake I have lost all things.
I consider them garbage,
that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own
that comes from the law,
but that which is through faith in Christ—
the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
10 I want to know Christ—
yes, to know the power of his resurrection
and participation in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow,
attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this,
or have already arrived at my goal,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers and sisters,
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,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize
for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Read these words aloud—together—if you're doing this Spotlight in a group.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss
because of the surpassing worth
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whose sake I have lost all things.
I consider them garbage,
that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own
that comes from the law,
but that which is through faith in Christ—
the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
10 I want to know Christ—
yes, to know the power of his resurrection
and participation in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow,
attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this,
or have already arrived at my goal,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers and sisters,
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,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize
for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Consider your performance in the quote/transaction/receipt dynamic.
Use this presentation to think about the ways you have had the spirit of the song "The Cost" but perhaps failed in follow-through.
Use this presentation to think about the ways you have had the spirit of the song "The Cost" but perhaps failed in follow-through.
Take a look at the song "The Cost" from another perspective.
Marvel at the value of God coming through on what he quoted with this song.
Watch this video reading of Romans 3:2–4 to help you consider God's reputation.
Discuss the following questions with your group (if you're in a group).
- Agree/Disagree: The Bible is a tool God can use to hold people accountable for their actions.
- Agree/Disagree: The Bible is a tool people can use to hold God accountable for his actions.
- Agree/Disagree: The Bible should be used more to hold God accountable than to hold people accountable.
Now it’s your turn to see this for yourself and really notice how God works.
We’ve been talking about how God gets specific in his Word - sometimes even oddly specific. He tells us exactly what he’s going to do, then he does it, and afterward, he points back to it and shows us what it means. It’s like he gives us a quote, carries out the action, and then hands us the receipt, so we know it really happened and why it matters.
In Romans 3, Paul is helping his readers understand God's logic: how sin, justice, and grace all fit together through Jesus. And in the six verses you’re about to read, you’ll see all three: God’s quotes, God’s actions, and God’s receipts.
Here’s your task: As you read, mark which phrases are God’s quotes (things he said in advance), which are his actions (what he actually did), and which are receipts (the explanation or confirmation afterward). Try to keep each phrase in just one category.
The goal isn’t to get it perfect. It’s to help you engage a deep section of the Bible using this quote-action-receipt framework. When you're done, you can check your answers against the Illume team’s take on the final slide.
And as you work through it, we hope you'll be blessed by how clearly God proves himself.
We’ve been talking about how God gets specific in his Word - sometimes even oddly specific. He tells us exactly what he’s going to do, then he does it, and afterward, he points back to it and shows us what it means. It’s like he gives us a quote, carries out the action, and then hands us the receipt, so we know it really happened and why it matters.
In Romans 3, Paul is helping his readers understand God's logic: how sin, justice, and grace all fit together through Jesus. And in the six verses you’re about to read, you’ll see all three: God’s quotes, God’s actions, and God’s receipts.
Here’s your task: As you read, mark which phrases are God’s quotes (things he said in advance), which are his actions (what he actually did), and which are receipts (the explanation or confirmation afterward). Try to keep each phrase in just one category.
The goal isn’t to get it perfect. It’s to help you engage a deep section of the Bible using this quote-action-receipt framework. When you're done, you can check your answers against the Illume team’s take on the final slide.
And as you work through it, we hope you'll be blessed by how clearly God proves himself.
While accountability in both directions is good, it's the fact that you can hold God accountable (and that he invites you to!) that makes the Word so valuable.
Discuss this final agree/disagree, which is slightly different: The Bible is a tool for helping the people around you hold God accountable for his actions.
Watch this video to see how quotes are ways of thinking ahead to what you hope the receipt will say.
Pick a relationship in your life that has some tension or confusion due to unspecified expectations for you and use the next few minutes to privately write up the receipt that you'd like to be able to write one day to the other person.
Here are some relationship examples to help you start thinking…
Here are some relationship examples to help you start thinking…
- with a parent
- with a relative
- with a sibling
- with a neighbor
- with a coworker
- with a child
- with a boss
- with an employee
- with a teacher
- with a student
- with a classmate
- with a fishing buddy
- with a fellow group member
- with a political opponent
Feel free to submit a prayer request by filling out the below form.
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)
Pray through your requests—together—as a group.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.
Pray together the words of this poem as you close.
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth,
your living finger never wrote
that life should be an aimless mote,
a deathward drift from futile birth.
Your Word meant life triumphant hurled
in splendor through your broken world;
ere light awoke and life began,
you made for us a holy plan.
In blind revolt we would not see
that rebel wills wrought death and night.
We seized and used in fear and spite
your wondrous gift of liberty.
We walled us in this house of doom,
where death had royal scope and room,
until your servant, Prince of Peace,
broke down its walls for our release.
You came into our hall of death,
O Christ to breathe our poisoned air,
to drink for us the deep despair
that strangled our reluctant breath.
How beautiful the feet that trod
the road to bring good news from God!
How beautiful the feet that bring
good tidings of our saving King!
O Spirit, who did once restore
the church that it might yet recall
the one who brings good news to all:
breathe on your cloven church once more
that in these gray and latter days
there may be those whose life is praise,
each life a high doxology
unto the holy Trinity.
Amen.
O God, O Lord of heaven and earth,
your living finger never wrote
that life should be an aimless mote,
a deathward drift from futile birth.
Your Word meant life triumphant hurled
in splendor through your broken world;
ere light awoke and life began,
you made for us a holy plan.
In blind revolt we would not see
that rebel wills wrought death and night.
We seized and used in fear and spite
your wondrous gift of liberty.
We walled us in this house of doom,
where death had royal scope and room,
until your servant, Prince of Peace,
broke down its walls for our release.
You came into our hall of death,
O Christ to breathe our poisoned air,
to drink for us the deep despair
that strangled our reluctant breath.
How beautiful the feet that trod
the road to bring good news from God!
How beautiful the feet that bring
good tidings of our saving King!
O Spirit, who did once restore
the church that it might yet recall
the one who brings good news to all:
breathe on your cloven church once more
that in these gray and latter days
there may be those whose life is praise,
each life a high doxology
unto the holy Trinity.
Amen.
Sing this song as you close out this Spotlight.
Let's wrap things up by taking a look at what's Current at Illume.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.
Posted in Revelation in a Certain Light
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