Two are Better Than One

Welcome to Week Twenty-one of our Bible study! This week we will be looking at the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, found in Luke 16:19-31. This story comes on the heals of a contentious exchange between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders. Specifically, Jesus was teaching about the dangers associated with loving money and material possessions, and he drew a stark contrast between actions that glorify the individual and those that spring from a contrite heart. These were words the Pharisees did not want to hear and provide the context for the story of the rich man and Lazarus. As always, we need to place ourselves in the time and culture of the audience and try to understand the meaning of the events that take place. Although I have read this story many times before, when we try to understand the context and thinking of the Jewish leaders during this time, the story comes to life in a new way. So, we will discuss these things and also life after death during our study Sunday nig...

Welcome to Week Twenty of our Bible study! This week we will be looking at the parable of the banquet, found in Luke 14:15-24 and Matthew 22:1-14. Once again, we find Jesus speaking about the end times and who will enter into His kingdom. Obviously, that was a topic of interest to those around Him during that time and it certainly is today as well. Some believe that these two passages are parallel, meaning they are slightly different versions of the same parable by Jesus. The author of the book we are following believes they are separate because the accounts have a few specific differences. I am not inclined to debate either side, rather we will focus on the main idea of both parables, which is who will find their way into the Kingdom of God and who will not. This parable follows the sentiment from last week, which was “enter through the narrow door.” So that is what we will discuss this week. As always, I welcome your participation and look forward to seeing you all Sunday evening at ...

Welcome to Week Nineteen of our Bible study! This week we will be looking at the parable of the narrow door, found in Luke 13:22-30. Once again, we find Jesus speaking about the end times and who will enter into His kingdom. Obviously, that was a topic of interest to those around Him during that time and it certainly is today as well. “Strive to enter through the narrow door” is an interesting phrase and one that we will look at in more detail Sunday evening. This statement goes hand in hand with others that suggest the path is wide that leads to destruction, and we must be deliberate to seek out the narrow door. 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 portable device, then you w...

Welcome to Week Eighteen of our Bible Study! This week we look at Luke 12:35-48 and Matthew 24:45-51. This week’s lesson is about being prepared for the return of our Messiah. Both passages are very similar and speak of the Master returning to find some of His slaves doing well and some that are squandering their time and resources. As with many other parables, there is a dichotomy between the obedient and the disobedient, the sheep and the goats, and the faithful and the unfaithful. Many questions naturally present themselves. What is it that I should be doing to anticipate and prepare myself? How can I be more Kingdom focused on a daily basis? How can I keep the world from stealing my energy and joy?  We will discuss these questions and more in this week’s study! 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 an...

Welcome to Week Seventeen of our Bible Study! This week we look at Matthew 18:21-35. This week’s lesson is about forgiveness. How many times are you supposed to forgive someone? Does it matter about what they have done to you? What happens if we don’t forgive someone? And perhaps the ugly sibling of not forgiving is holding a grudge. How does holding a grudge affect both parties? While not really addressed in this passage, one has to imagine the same heart condition could lead someone to hold a grudge. We will discuss these questions and more in this week’s study! 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 portable device, then you will need to download the free Zoom app. Once you h...

Welcome to Week Sixteen of our Bible Study! This week we look at Matthew 25:14-30. This passage is known as the parable of the talents and is another parable about the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus recounts the actions of 3 servants and how they use their master’s resources. As with all of these, it is interesting and quite thought provoking. I encourage you to pray over this passage and join us for the discussion. 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 portable device, then you will need to download the free Zoom app. Once you have the Zoom app, just open it and select “Join” a meeting, and use this ID:   696 778 0839. I would encourage everyone to go into their Zoom settings ...

Welcome to Week Fifteen of our Bible Study! This week we look at Luke 16:1-15. This is a somewhat unique and potentially challenging passage to dissect. Jesus discusses the actions of a steward who has been fired by his master and finds a way to turn the tables for his benefit. The master ends up commending his steward, the one he has just fired, for this shady behavior. The target audience seems to be the Jewish religious leaders. There are a lot of viewpoints on exactly what Jesus was teaching with this parable. We will do our best to open the Word and see if we can learn a few things from this passage. 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 portable device, then you will need...