This evening, Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 7 p.m., we’ll have a Bible study on God’s faithfulness. You can attend in person in the parlor or you can join us via Zoom at bit.ly/3AOWXnf. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go here.
Category Archives: Bible
A Book Study on the Bible
Our next Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study will be on Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans. The plan is to start Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 7 p.m.
From the publisher:
“If the Bible isn’t a science book or an instruction manual, what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she embarked on a journey to better understand what the Bible is and how it’s meant to be read. What she discovered changed her—and it can change you, too.”
The book is available at all the usual places, and copies have been ordered so you can pick one up at church. The suggested donation is $14, but feel free to give whatever you can or just take one.
Bible Study: God’s Loyal Love
This evening, Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at 7 p.m., we’ll have a Bible study on God’s loyal love. You can attend in person in the parlor or you can join us via Zoom at bit.ly/3AOWXnf. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go here.
On the Attributes and Justice of God
At Wednesday night Bible Study we’ve been studying the attributes of God found in Exodus 34:6: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” In our most recent study, we looked at some quotes from Abraham Heschel that I want to share with you:
“The prophets had no theory or ‘idea’ of God. What they had was an understanding . . . To the prophets, God was overwhelmingly real and shatteringly present. . . . To the prophets, the attributes of God were drives, challenges, commandments, rather than timeless notions . . . They disclosed attitudes of God rather than ideas about God.”
“To the prophet . . . God does not reveal himself in abstract absoluteness, but in a personal and intimate relation to the world. He [God] does not simply command and expect obedience; He is moved and affected by what happens in the world, and reacts accordingly. Events and human actions arouse in him joy or sorrow, pleasure or wrath. He is not conceived as judging the world in detachment. He reacts in an intimate and subjective manner. [God is moved, affected, grieved, gladdened and pleased by what people do.]”
“This notion that God can be intimately affected, that He possesses not merely intelligence and will, but also pathos, basically defines the prophetic consciousness of God. “
God is not indifferent to injustice, but God is slow to anger. (In the King James Version the Hebrew word for slow to anger is translated as longsuffering). That’s why, in the Bible, we continually see God giving people chance after chance, opportunity after opportunity, to repent and turn back to God. It is why, I believe, the years between Jesus’s first and second comings have stretched so long. Like the loving father in the parable, God is ever ready to abandon all dignity and rush down the road to welcome us home.
It is to our benefit that God is slow to anger, but it is also to our benefit that God will not allow injustice to stand forever. The world will be set right and all will be well in the end. No matter what we have done, it is not yet ever too late to turn to God. It is also never too early, and sooner is better than later.
God’s Anger and Wrath — Corrected
At this Wednesday’s Adult Bible Study (October 5, 2022), we’ll be talking about what the Bible says about God’s anger and wrath; but we’ll be doing so in the context of God’s character as “slow to anger.” It’s a great lesson that helped me think through some of the most challenging passages in scripture. So I hope you’ll join us even if you haven’t done so before.
As usual, we’ll be meeting at 5:15 p.m. 7 p.m. You can attend in person in room 200 or join us via Zoom at https://wp.me/P3IZ7l-nZ. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there.
If you want to watch the video ahead of time you can go to: https://bit.ly/3deVkCh.
You can download the transcript as pdf here.
And you can download the study notes as a pdf here.
Grace Bible Study Tonight
You can view the video and additional background resources here: https://bit.ly/3HvHLN2
Compassion Bible Study Tonight
You can view the videos here: https://bit.ly/31ElWu0
Bible Study Meeting in the Parlor Tonight
Today (Wednesday, September 14, 2022) is the first session of our Bible Study exploring God’s character. The plan is is start at 7 p.m. and be done no later by 8 p.m. The study will begin with a 5-10 minute video from bibleproject.com. I hope this will be an easy group for everyone to participate in. You don’t need to do any reading in advance; you only need to bring yourself and maybe a Bible (I’ll also have copies of the relevant scripture passages).
Update: We’ll be meeting in the parlor.
You can view the videos here: https://bit.ly/3CGlV6s
Bible Study: Jesus the Royal Priest
This evening, Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 5:15, we’ll have a Bible study on Jesus the Royal Priest. You can attend in person in room 200 or you can join us via Zoom at https://wp.me/P3IZ7l-nZ. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go to https://bit.ly/37NegJt.
Bible Study: Moses and Aaron
This evening Wednesday, April 6 at 5:15, we’ll have a Bible study on Moses and Aaron. Tonight’s meeting will be Zoom only at https://wp.me/P3IZ7l-nZ. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go to bibleproject.com/explore/video/moses-and-aaron/.
Bible Study: The Royal Priests of Eden
This evening (Wednesday, March 23, 2022) at 5:15, we’ll begin anew our Bible study on the Theme of The Royal Priesthood. This is a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible from start to finish. Our first session will focus on “Royal Priests of Eden.” You can attend in person in room 200 or you can join us via Zoom at https://wp.me/P3IZ7l-nZ. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a six minute video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go to https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/priests-of-eden/.
Bible Study: The Royal Priests of Eden
This evening (Wednesday, March 9, 2022) at 5:15, we’ll begin our Bible study on the Theme of The Royal Priesthood. This is a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible from start to finish. Our first session will focus on “Royal Priests of Eden.” You can attend in person in room 200 or you can join us via Zoom at https://wp.me/P3IZ7l-nZ. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a six minute video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go to https://bit.ly/3pRWIlc.