READ: Luke 10:1-24
PRAY: Think of all the people in your life who have proclaimed the Gospel to you. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for them. Pray for all those you can think of who are still at work proclaiming the Gospel to others. Pray that God would use you for this purpose too.
DO: Learn more about missionaries. Go to the ELCA website and search for “missionaries” or reference the ELCA magazine provided in your stewardship materials. What are some of the ways missionaries today are being “sent out” and “proclaiming the Gospel”?
(Enjoy your Christmas Holiday - our regular Bible Study will resume on Thursday, Jan 8, with a discussion on this text)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Transfiguration
READ: Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36
PRAY: Sing the familiar Christmas hymn, “Go Tell it on the Mountain” as you begin or end your devotional time.
DO: Sometimes our lives get so busy that it’s hard to hear what God is saying to us. Find time this week to spend one hour away from all the things that crowd and clutter your life (TV, telephones, computers, etc.). Begin and end your time in prayer, listening for God in your activities.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Feeding of the 5,000
For Dec. 11: Feeding of the 5,000
READ: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14
PRAY: Make a point of “blessing” your food at mealtime… does it make a difference to eat “blessed” food or not? Thank God for the ways He blesses you, and ask God to use you as a blessing.
DO: Take a piece of bread to a local park (hopefully on a warm day) and use it to feed the birds. Notice how many birds are fed through this one simple act. What will happen to the bread that’s not eaten? How will it continue to provide nourishment for even more?
READ: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14
PRAY: Make a point of “blessing” your food at mealtime… does it make a difference to eat “blessed” food or not? Thank God for the ways He blesses you, and ask God to use you as a blessing.
DO: Take a piece of bread to a local park (hopefully on a warm day) and use it to feed the birds. Notice how many birds are fed through this one simple act. What will happen to the bread that’s not eaten? How will it continue to provide nourishment for even more?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Gerasene Demoniac Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39
READ: Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39
PRAY: Read Psalm 34:1-10.
DO: Watch the nightly news. Look for examples of suffering: In what ways are people suffering in our community, nation, or world? Did the news program offer any information about how suffering people are being helped?
PRAY: Read Psalm 34:1-10.
DO: Watch the nightly news. Look for examples of suffering: In what ways are people suffering in our community, nation, or world? Did the news program offer any information about how suffering people are being helped?
The Sermon on the Mount (Plain) Matthew 5-7; Luke 6:17-49
Lesson 32 – Sermon on the Mount (or Plain)
Big Idea: Jesus turns things upside down.
Historical Background
The “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew’s Gospel and the much shorter “Sermon on the Plain” recorded in Luke’s Gospel both represent an early sermon given by Jesus after choosing an inner circle of followers (disciples / apostles). Most scholars think that these are two different accountings of the same sermon. If this is true, obviously, neither account is a word for word report of a speech that Jesus once gave. However, both accounts represent sayings and teachings that go back to the historical Jesus and early Christian community – the major difference is how each author remembered and arranged them.
In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, much of Jesus’ ethical teaching offered “along the road” in Luke and Mark is arranged in a neat, rhetorical order. All of these themes are arranged such that Jesus’ teaching of the Lord’s Prayer occurs at the center of the sermon, thus giving the rest of the teachings a new orientation as they point to the central idea of this prayer. In Luke’s account, the change in location, and attention to detail accounting who is listening to the speech reflect once again Luke’s central focus on the validity of the Gospel for all people.
Included early on in both accounts is what has come to be known as the “Beatitudes” (a word which literally means “Blessings” or “Good Fortunes”). These statements are prophetic declarations concerning the already/not-yet reality of the Kingdom of God. While things may seem bad now, Jesus assures his followers that they are already a part of a different reality in God’s Kingdom – a reality that turns the secular world of “haves” and “have nots” upside down.
Application
In light of these sermons, briefly describe Jesus’ vision for the world (in one or two sentences):
What does this say to you about the way God works? Is it fair? Why or why not?
In what ways did the disciple’s world fall short of this vision? How does our world fall short?
In what ways did the early Christian church work to make this vision a reality? How do we (as individuals / the church) work to bring about God’s Kingdom on earth?
How would our lives be different / changed in this new reality?
How is Luke’s account of the beatitudes different than Matthew’s? What do “woes” mean for us?
Compare Matthew 5:16 to our baptismal service. What does it mean to be salt / light for the world? How does knowing that Jesus is addressing his disciples in the plural (“yinz are the light of the world”) change this meaning?
Big Idea: Jesus turns things upside down.
Historical Background
The “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew’s Gospel and the much shorter “Sermon on the Plain” recorded in Luke’s Gospel both represent an early sermon given by Jesus after choosing an inner circle of followers (disciples / apostles). Most scholars think that these are two different accountings of the same sermon. If this is true, obviously, neither account is a word for word report of a speech that Jesus once gave. However, both accounts represent sayings and teachings that go back to the historical Jesus and early Christian community – the major difference is how each author remembered and arranged them.
In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, much of Jesus’ ethical teaching offered “along the road” in Luke and Mark is arranged in a neat, rhetorical order. All of these themes are arranged such that Jesus’ teaching of the Lord’s Prayer occurs at the center of the sermon, thus giving the rest of the teachings a new orientation as they point to the central idea of this prayer. In Luke’s account, the change in location, and attention to detail accounting who is listening to the speech reflect once again Luke’s central focus on the validity of the Gospel for all people.
Included early on in both accounts is what has come to be known as the “Beatitudes” (a word which literally means “Blessings” or “Good Fortunes”). These statements are prophetic declarations concerning the already/not-yet reality of the Kingdom of God. While things may seem bad now, Jesus assures his followers that they are already a part of a different reality in God’s Kingdom – a reality that turns the secular world of “haves” and “have nots” upside down.
Application
In light of these sermons, briefly describe Jesus’ vision for the world (in one or two sentences):
What does this say to you about the way God works? Is it fair? Why or why not?
In what ways did the disciple’s world fall short of this vision? How does our world fall short?
In what ways did the early Christian church work to make this vision a reality? How do we (as individuals / the church) work to bring about God’s Kingdom on earth?
How would our lives be different / changed in this new reality?
How is Luke’s account of the beatitudes different than Matthew’s? What do “woes” mean for us?
Compare Matthew 5:16 to our baptismal service. What does it mean to be salt / light for the world? How does knowing that Jesus is addressing his disciples in the plural (“yinz are the light of the world”) change this meaning?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Jesus' Nazareth Sermon
For Next Week: Nazareth Sermon
READ: Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16-30
PRAY: Pray in thanksgiving for your family and neighbors, and ask for God’s blessings on them, even (and especially) those who it might be hard to love at times.
DO: Bring good news to the poor by being a voice for them. Contact an organization like the ELCA Hunger Appeal or Bread for the World to find out how you can write letters to advocate for the poor. Listen for when in worship this phrase from Luke 4:18 is used. What does this mean for our act of worship?
READ: Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16-30
PRAY: Pray in thanksgiving for your family and neighbors, and ask for God’s blessings on them, even (and especially) those who it might be hard to love at times.
DO: Bring good news to the poor by being a voice for them. Contact an organization like the ELCA Hunger Appeal or Bread for the World to find out how you can write letters to advocate for the poor. Listen for when in worship this phrase from Luke 4:18 is used. What does this mean for our act of worship?
Baptism & the Temptations
Baptism & the Temptations
READ: Mark 1:1-13; Matthew 3:1-4:11; Luke 3:1-22, 4:1-13; John 1:19-34
PRAY: “I give thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give your daughters and sons new birth, cleanse us from sin, and raise us to eternal life. Sustain me today with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.”
(Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Service for Holy Baptism, p. 231)
READ: Mark 1:1-13; Matthew 3:1-4:11; Luke 3:1-22, 4:1-13; John 1:19-34
PRAY: “I give thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give your daughters and sons new birth, cleanse us from sin, and raise us to eternal life. Sustain me today with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.”
(Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Service for Holy Baptism, p. 231)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38)
READ: Luke 2:25-38; Isaiah 40:5; 42:6; 46:13; 49:6; and 52:9-10
PRAY: The “Nunc Dimitis” is the liturgical song based on Simeon’s words in Luke 2:29-32. It begins with the words, “Lord now you let your servant go in peace…” (or in Latin, “Now you dismiss”). Pray or sing these words from Scripture or a favorite arrangement as you begin your devotions this week.
DO: Speak to an “elder” member of your family or our church. Talk to them about what life was like when they were young, what church was like, and what their faith means to them. Share your experiences with them as well.
PRAY: The “Nunc Dimitis” is the liturgical song based on Simeon’s words in Luke 2:29-32. It begins with the words, “Lord now you let your servant go in peace…” (or in Latin, “Now you dismiss”). Pray or sing these words from Scripture or a favorite arrangement as you begin your devotions this week.
DO: Speak to an “elder” member of your family or our church. Talk to them about what life was like when they were young, what church was like, and what their faith means to them. Share your experiences with them as well.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Magi (Matthew 2:1-12)
READ: Matthew 2:1-12; Numbers 22-24 (look for connections regarding a star and foreigners)
PRAY: Light a candle in the dim room. Begin your prayer, “Jesus Christ, you are the light of the world…” pray for Christ’s light to shine in situations in your life and/or community that feel dark. Pray for leaders and government officials, naming those who impact you. End by praying for Christ’s light to bring joy to the whole world, and repeating the beginning phrase.
DO: Online, or at a local library, look for T. S. Eliot's poem "Journey of the Magi." How does the poem combine the Epiphany story at the beginning of the Gospel with images from Jesus' death on the cross? Then look for O. Henry's story "The Gift of the Magi." How does the unexpected ending relate to the title of the story?
PRAY: Light a candle in the dim room. Begin your prayer, “Jesus Christ, you are the light of the world…” pray for Christ’s light to shine in situations in your life and/or community that feel dark. Pray for leaders and government officials, naming those who impact you. End by praying for Christ’s light to bring joy to the whole world, and repeating the beginning phrase.
DO: Online, or at a local library, look for T. S. Eliot's poem "Journey of the Magi." How does the poem combine the Epiphany story at the beginning of the Gospel with images from Jesus' death on the cross? Then look for O. Henry's story "The Gift of the Magi." How does the unexpected ending relate to the title of the story?
Welcome!
As a result of conversation at our Sunday morning adult education class, I have set up this blog as a forum for online Bible Study. Each Thursday I will post the texts and resources from the evening Bible Study that is taking place at our congregation. We will continue our journey through 60 of the most essential stories in Scritpure, moving into the New Testament. Throughout the week, prayerful conversation and dialogue can occur on this site, as we explore the Word of God together.
This week, the topic of conversation comes from Matthew 2:1-12, the Magi.
This week, the topic of conversation comes from Matthew 2:1-12, the Magi.
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