Weeks 9 & 11: New Testament Teaching

Our study this semester at Student Wives Fellowship has drawn to a close and the past couple of weeks have been amazing as our speakers have taught from the New Testament and given us a glimpse of what it is we have been building up to all along from our teachings in the Old Testament. 

 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
   “when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel

and with the people of Judah."

Jeremiah 31:31

Surprisingly, the above verse is the only place in Scripture where the explicit language of "new covenant" is used. However, a similar theme is expressed many placed elsewhere including both the Old Testament and the Gospels. (Isa. 55:3, Jer. 32:40, Ezek. 16:59-63, Luke 22:20, Matt. 26:27-28, Mark 14:23-24).

This new covenant is the one that along with the believing people of Israel and Judah mentioned above, we Gentiles are able to be included in. The inclusion of the Gentiles is indeed something new. Yet beyond this facet of the covenant, when the incarnate Christ comes to dwell among His creation, He is revealing something about the Father's heart, namely that He is a God who is relational and emotional in nature. He has come to tear down the dividing wall of hostility and this is fulfilled by Jesus giving the blood necessary for the covenant, the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, and the relationship now shared between Jews and Gentiles. 

The New Covenant's fulfillment makes way for the birth of the Church. The Church is now the agent through which God is choosing to work. Before, he used Israel as a beacon for the nations to draw them to Himself and then that was passed on to the Church through Christ as the Great Commission commands all believers to now be people that makes disciples who make disciples. All those who belong to Christ are now one with another through Him. The Church is now the physical image of Christ in the Earth. What a beautiful image we have of oneness and blessed assurance of purpose as the missio dei of God continues to go forth in this present Church Age.

4 Keys to Great Communication from Dr. John Trent

Deuteronomy 30:19 

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live." 

The above verse is a foundational platform for great communication. 

Key terms defined: 

Life=Movement towards someone/something

Death=Stepping away into isolation

Blessing=To add to someone/something

Curse=To subtract

4 keys to great communication working from that foundation: 

1st key- Using a tool to "supercharge" communication that Solomon and his bride used such as word pictures. Find creative ways to bless your spouse with spoken word that will give them high value. (See Song of Solomon 2 for examples)  


2nd key- Keeping issues at the fox level. In Song of Solomon 2:15 the bride urges her beloved to catch the foxes that are ruining their vineyard while they are still small. In essence, deal with problems when they first begin and when dealing with them make sure to deal with the issue and not attack the person or the relationship.

3rd key- Quick listening as a tool for slowing down arguments. When working through an issue, be sure to be listening to the other person in order to best understand the situation. Ask questions like, "What's the small issue? How does this issue make you feel? What's one solution from your standpoint?" Questions like this can help in understanding what's really going on as well as deescalate the situation. However, if you still cannot reach an agreement, be okay with thinking and praying about it for a while before you reach a conclusion. 

4th key- You must deal with those moles that can block your ability to really see and value and communicate well with your loved ones. Many times when we are talking with our spouses we may be transferring to them feelings we have from our past. It's important to take time to consider events and people from your past that could be potentially hindering your relationship. It's helpful to pray about those events/people as well as discuss them with your spouse to seek forgiveness and reconciliation on all accounts. It also could be helpful to receive counseling for an issue you can't seem to overcome out of concern for your individual health, fairness to your spouse, and health for your marriage. 

With love,

Amy

*Note: The above words written in italics are direct quotations from Dr. Trent's handout given on 11/5/2015 at Student Wives Fellowship. All other writing is my own.