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John 3

We just finished the third chapter of John in our Sunday evening study and it is amazing to consider the number of statements in these first three chapters that affirm the deity of Jesus. This is the beauty of studying the Bible verse by verse rather than topical studies, you get a much fuller sense of what is written and it’s much easier to understand the context as well. If you were to look up the purpose of John’s gospel on the internet, you would get something like “John wrote his gospel to clearly state the deity of Jesus.” In fact, we get John’s purpose statement in chapter 20, verse 31: “… but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (NASB) So, we only have to read the first three chapters of John to understand who Jesus was and how we can be saved. And we don’t have to read past the first half of chapter 1 to see the deity of Jesus proclaimed by John. Of course, one of the mos

New Link For Sunday Night Study

Greetings everyone. We are switching to Google Meet for our Sunday night Bible study. This is the link for our study. You may need a Google account to use Meet, so it may prompt you for a login. : https://meet.google.com/rda-odwx-ueh We will continue to meet Sunday evenings at 7:30 EST and we are studying Matthew.

Week Thirty: Abiding in the Vine

Welcome to Week Thirty of our Bible study! Last week we discussed what our Father expects of us. This week we will continue that theme and look at two specific passages. Again, we will ask that question, “What does our Father expect of us?” We will look at the parables of the wise and foolish builder (Luke 6:47-49) and the discourse found in John 15:1-17, where our Lord discusses the vine and branches. Although different passages, I consider them to be connected and address the fundamental question of expectation. The answer is quite simple but plays out over a lifetime, and this can make abiding a bit challenging at times. I think this is why we have the whole Scripture to consider and reflect upon rather than isolated passages. And as a Believer, nothing can be more critical and fundamental than building our faith and daily experience on the right foundation. We will have lots to discuss this week! As always, I welcome your participation and look forward to seeing you all Sunday ev

Week Twenty-Nine: What Does God Expect From Us

Welcome to Week Twenty-Nine of our Bible study! Have you ever wondered, “What does God expect of me?” Or perhaps, “What is God’s will for me?” These topics are big business in the self-help industry and there have been a lot of studies and books about God’s will/expectations in our lives. This week we will be look at Luke 17:7-10. This short parable addresses God’s expectations in a very direct, in your face kind of way. In addition to these verses, we will look at a few other passages on the subject and try to gain an understanding of what Jesus was saying to his disciples in this short parable. We will have lots to discuss this week! As always, I welcome your participation and look forward to seeing you all Sunday evening at 7:30 pm. About Zoom: We will use Zoom for this Bible study. If you are using a computer, just type in www.zoom.com and select “Join a Meeting” at the top of the page, then enter the meeting ID: 696 778 0839. If you are using a phone, iPad or other portab

Week Twenty-Eight: The Wayward Son & the Loving Father

Welcome to Week Twenty-Eight of our Bible study! This week we will be looking at Luke 15:11-32. This is a wonderful and familiar story to all, the Prodigal Son. These verses follow immediately after those of last week, where we looked at the love of the Father seeking after a lost sheep. The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son were all spoken to the same audience, and largely delivered for the same purpose. That said, there is great application to everyone, and I challenge you to dig deeper and resist the temptation to look at these parables through the lens of past experience or tradition. The Word is alive and constantly able to speak to us in magnificent ways, so let’s dive in and let the Spirit speak to us through this wonderful parable. In last week’s study, we tossed around the thought of what heaven might be like and the joy seen in heaven when a sinner repents. This is a natural reaction when we consider the relentless love of the Father and how h

Week Twenty-seven: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin

Welcome to Week Twenty-Seven of our Bible study! This week we will be looking at Luke 15:1-10. This is a beautiful parable of Jesus explaining how the shepherd will leave the 99 to look for the lost sheep, and the woman who has lost a coin will search everywhere for it. It is a beautiful story because it gives us a portrait of the love our Lord has for the lost and how He desires for all to come to repentance. I think this perspective is critical if we are to get a glimpse of who God really is and what He ultimately wants for all mankind. A few questions/thoughts that come to mind: · The religious leaders wouldn’t associate with “sinners;” what does this tell you about their character and how they saw their own source of righteousness? · Who were the “sinners” Jesus was associating with? · Why did Jesus choose to dine with people that were so reviled by the religious leaders? · Have you ever thought about there being joy in heaven over things that ha

Week Twenty-Six: Workers in the Vineyard

Welcome to Week Twenty-Six of our Bible study! This week we will be looking at Matthew 20: 1-16, but you should actually start reading in Matthew 19:16 and read through the end of the chapter. You will note that chapter 20 picks up right where chapter 19 left off, meaning this was one series of interactions between Jesus, His disciples, and the people around them. It should really be one long chapter to preserve the context of this dialogue. At any rate, we find Jesus once again discussing His kingdom and what is necessary to be saved. I think one of the prevailing themes of this dialogue is the sovereignty of God, which we encounter throughout the scriptures. As you read through these verses, consider what Jesus is getting at and how radical these concepts were to this audience. These ideas are every bit as radical today as they were then. As always, I welcome your participation and look forward to seeing you all Sunday evening at 7:30 pm. About Zoom: We will use Zoom for this Bib