Men and Women

Lesson 1: In the beginning, God created

1.     Read Genesis 1. This is one of the most important chapters of the Bible on men and women. What do we notice in this chapter? Consider:

a.     What is repeated?

b.     What is the sequence of creation?

c.      What is the significance of God making man and woman last?

2.     Read Genesis 2. This chapters focuses specifically on the creation of men and women? What is notable here? For example, what is similar or different about the way that Adam and Eve were created as opposed to the rest of the living things?

3.     Read Genesis 3. How were male and female affected by the fall?

4.     How does Genesis 1-3 influence or change the way you view men and women? Consider their identity, their function, their roles.

5.     What are some ways that even Christians might ignore or reject Genesis 1-3?

6.     What are some reasons that Christians might not live according to Genesis 1-3?

Lesson 2: Basics of men and women relationships

1.     Share a humorous male – female story from the week.

2.     How would you summarize what we learned last time about men and women from Genesis 1-3?

3.     Skim Genesis 2:5-17 again. What word did God use for man’s role?

4.     In that same section, what duties or tasks or functions did God give to Adam?

5.     Read Genesis 2:18-23 again. What word did God use for woman’s role?

6.     In that same section, what duties or tasks or functions did God give to the woman?

7. One easy way to summarize what we find in Genesis 2 might look something like this.  

	Function	Task
Adam	.	.
Eve	.	.

8.     Look up the following passages. What do they tell us about “helper”?

Exodus 18:4

Deuteronomy 33:7

Psalm 20:3

Psalm 121:2

Psalm 146:5

John 14:16

9.     How do the words of Genesis 1:28-30 fit with the teaching in Genesis 2 (a vital question to bring these ideas together).

10. In the 1990s, David Gilmore wrote a book called Manhood in the Making: Cultural Concepts of Masculinity. In it he notes that “that gender differentiation is weaker in societies where resources are abundant, such as ours. And he concludes that, “The degree to which women contribute directly to the food quest in any given society seems to correlate [inversely] with the degree to which manhood is emphasized.” In our society where women are often outpacing men in careers, trying to expect sacrificial behavior out of men and only men might be a fruitless task. Gender seems likely to continue being weakly differentiated or even to fragment.”  

In your own words, what is Gilmore saying?  

How does a cultural insight like Gilmore’s fit with the ideas of Genesis 2?  

Lesson 3: Both men and women are incredibly competent  

1. What’s a proverb or truism or wise saying about men and women that you’ve heard?  

“Men are from Mars, women are from Venus.”  

“Men are like waffles, women are like spaghetti.”  

“Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy.” Henry Kissinger 

2. To catch us up from last time, please read Genesis 1:27-28. When the Lord gave men and women the responsibility to steward creation, he also gave them the gift of his image. The rest of the Bible tells us that we lost that gift (even if some fragment of it is left behind) and our stewardship is corrupted. Still, reflect on the wonderful gift and responsibility the Lord gave us. What do they tell us about him and us?  

3. Read Colossians 3:8-11. Despite the fact that God’s gift and responsibility are ruined in the fall, God is restoring those who believe in him. In this passage, what are some ways that God is restoring us? What are the results of his work?  

4. Stephen Clark wrote one of the more well-known books on men and women called “Man and Woman in Christ”. As he opens, he tells a story. At one time, he was part of a group that sang together. There were supposed to be separate parts for men and women. Initially, they ignored those instructions and sang everything together. One day, they decided to try singing separately. Afterwards, the “consensus was that something worthwhile had been added to our ability to sing and worship the Lord. In fact, most people were enthusiastic about the new dimension of beauty and expression that had been added to our life together.”  

“Men and women should live together in love and serve the Lord together. … As we learn how to perceive and draw upon the value of what is distinctive to men and to women, our life together becomes stronger and more beautiful.” (Kindle Locations 171-173) 

5. The Bible is full of a lot of similar stories – stories of men and women who can do a lot and also drawn on their distinctive abilities: women like Sara, Rachel, Rebecca, Abigail, Esther, Naomi, Ruth, and Mary; men like David, Solomon, Elijah, Andrew, Peter, and Paul.  

The next major biblical story after the fall into sin focuses on Abraham and Sarah beginning in Genesis 12. Both Abraham and Sarah are highly competent.  

• Abraham traveled hundred of miles and established a new home (12:6) 

• Abraham dealt with the Egyptian Pharoah (12:15)  

• Sarah was very beautiful (12:14) 

• Sarah is powerful over Haggar (16, also 21:8ff) - not necessarily good, but still powerful 

Both Abraham and Sarah became role models for the Israelites because of their lives. See Isaiah 51:1-2.  

“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness  

and who seek the Lord:  

Look to the rock from which you were cut  

and to the quarry from which you were hewn;  

2 look to Abraham, your father,  

and to Sarah, who gave you birth.  

What were some of the abilities and gifts that Abraham and Sarah brought to their relationship?  

6. During the story, Abraham and his wife have an odd dynamic at a few points  

• When they go down to Egypt, he affirms her beauty (“I know what a beautiful woman you are” (12:11)) and tells her to say she is his sister.  

• Sarah tells Abraham to sleep with her slave and Abraham agrees (16:1) 

• Abraham lets Sarah mistreat the slave she told him to sleep with (“Do with her whatever you think best”) (16:6)  

• In Gerar, Abraham said, “She is my sister” (20:2)  

• Abraham named his son “laughter” after his wife’s previous laughter at the message of childbearing (21:3) 

• Sarah told Abraham to get rid of Hagar and her son, and Abraham agreed (21:10) 

What does this relationship dynamic reveal about them? Remember, generally speaking they seem to have a good relationship. For example, does it suggest that Sarah was perhaps domineering? Or that Abraham didn’t really respect Sarah? Or that Abraham thought too well of Sarah?  

7. From Genesis 12-22, there are plainly some differences between Abraham and Sarah. And we don’t hear much of how they work together. Can we say that together, they carried out Genesis 1:27-28?  

“28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 

8. I think most of us recognize that there are essential differences between men and women, but this isn’t something we can talk about well. We throw around jokes, we make up little sayings, or even criticize each other.  

One recent example of this difficulty is the scientist Carole Hooven from Harvard. After a long book on the hormone testosterone, she writes, “Let’s get rid of the tired idea that the sexes must be born with basically the same brains in order to have equal rights”.  

She is criticized by people like the journalist Angela Saini who wrote, “There are few psychological differences between the sexes, and the differences seen are heavily shaped by culture, not biology.” (Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong, and the New Research That’s Rewriting the Story)  

What do we miss in life when we can’t think well about men and women?  

Lesson 4: Men and women in different contexts

1.     Don’t shoot me, I didn’t make these.

2.     In the first few lessons, we established the basic principles of the Bible from creation and checked them in the early narrative of Abraham and Sarah. Today we want to take a closer look at men and women in different contexts and see how those basic principles play out.

	Marriage	Business	Government, Society	Church
	Mark 10:1-12, Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Peter 3:1-7, Colossians 3:18-21	Luke 8:1-3, Acts 16:11-15, Acts 18:2-3	Acts 13:49-52, Acts 17:1-4, Acts 25:13-27	Acts 18:24-28, 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. Titus 2:1-8.
Men
Women
Take aways

3.     There are a couple of major sections in the New Testament that deal with marriage: Mark 10:1-12, Ephesians 5:22-33 and 1 Peter 3:1-7 and Colossians 3:18-21. Read 1 Peter 3:1-7. What new information do we learn about men and women in these sections?

4.     There aren’t many parts of Scripture that show men and women in the business context. A few: Luke 8:1-3, Acts 16:11-15, Acts 18:2-3.

“The Bible mentions women who worked in commercial trade (Prov. 31:16a, 24; Acts 16:14), in agriculture (Josh. 15:17-19; Ruth 2:8; Prov. 31:16b), as millers (Exod. 11:5; Matt. 24:41), as shepherds (Gen. 29:9; Exod. 2:16), as artisans, especially in textiles (Exod. 26:1 NIV; Tobit 2:11ff NRSV; Acts 18:3), as perfumers and cooks (1 Sam. 8:13), as midwives (Exod. 1:15ff), as nurses (Gen. 35:8; Exod. 2:7; 2 Sam. 4:4; 1 Kings 1:4), as domestic servants (Acts 12:13, etc), and as professional mourners (Jer. 9:17). Women could also be patrons (Acts 16:40; Rom. 16:1-2), leaders (Judg. ch 4-5; 2 Sam. 20:16) and ruling queens (1 Kings 10:1ff; Acts 8:27). One Bible woman even built towns (1 Chron. 7:24). Many women, and men, worked from home, yet the Bible nowhere criticises women who worked outside the home in the public sphere.

“Lynn Cohick (2009:232-238) cites evidence from New Testament times that shows that women were shopkeepers and vendors, jewellery makers, fullers and dyers, and at least one woman we know of was a blacksmith.[2] In the Greco-Roman world, the setting of the New Testament, women could work in just about every profession. A woman could not be a soldier or a Roman senator, however.” (https://margmowczko.com/new-testament-working-women/)

5.     “On the political side, however, women’s influence seems more restricted to the privileged wives and daughters of nobles and powerful officials (see Acts 13:50; 17:4, 12; 24:24 [Drusilla]; 25:23; 26:30 [Bernice]).” (F. S. Spencer, “Women,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham, England: IVP Academic; IVP, 2013), 1005)

This point is seen when we take a look at New Testament narratives related to the government. There are just a couple of places: Acts 13:49-52, Acts 17:1-4, Acts 25:13-27.

6.     We tend to focus on the sections that deal with men and women in the Church the most. Acts 18:24-28, 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. Titus 2:1-8.

7.     What does the Bible teach us about men and women from all these contexts?

1.     The Bible speaks very positively and encouragingly about the differences between men and women even in different contexts. We ought to praise and encourage the differences.

2.     The task and helper relationship is one that ought to be

8.     Some of these things are not really popular to point out, but consider for example Jordan Peterson that shot him into the mainstream back in 2018 (start at 11:15 – 14:30)

Jordan Peterson debate on the gender pay gap, campus protests and postmodernism

  First, what is he saying?

To get more meaning out of what he is saying, we’d have to know more about his perspective on the world. But let’s take a shot at it anyway. What does he say that agrees with a biblical view of life, and what disagrees?

Lesson 5: The whole creation has been groaning

1.     Per ChatGPT

2.     We all can tell that something is wrong among men and women – men have their problems, women have their problems, and men and women together have their problems. It can be really hard to tell exactly what that is. For example, in August 2022, news reported:

“The pastor of a Texas church was placed on a leave of absence on Sunday, telling his congregation that he had messaged a woman who was not his wife in a way that was "unguarded and unwise."

Matt Chandler, the head pastor of Village Church in Dallas, stated that the messages were not sexual or romantic, but the church's elders decided Chandler "did not use language appropriate for a pastor, and he did not model a behavior that we expect from him," a church statement said. Chandler's leave of absence comes as the larger Southern Baptist community has struggled to deal with sexual misconduct allegations.

Chandler, 48, says the incident began when a woman approached him in the church's lobby to confront him about messages he'd sent to a friend of hers on Instagram.

While Chandler said the messages took place with full knowledge of both his and the woman's spouses, the church hired an outside law firm to audit Chandler's online activity.

Church leaders stated that Chandler had failed to meet the biblical standards of being above reproach following the investigation, but he has not been disqualified from leadership positions. (https://www.foxnews.com/us/popular-evangelical-pastor-abruptly-steps-down-citing-unwise-relationship)

3.     In lesson 1, we studied Genesis 3 and what we call “the fall into sin”. We learned that “sin brings sorrow and suffering instead of satisfaction”.  People “would experience misery and difficulty wringing a livelihood out of the soil.” (John C. Jeske, Genesis, 2nd ed., The People’s Bible (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House, 2001), 54-55).

“For all three protagonists the verdicts simply correspond to the conditions of life lived in the real world in that culture and in others: the hard labour of the agriculturalist, the pains of childbearing, the inevitable pains and frustrations inseparable from man and woman living together,” (Joseph Blenkinsopp, Creation, Un-Creation, Re-Creation: A Discursive Commentary on Genesis 1–11 (London; New York: t&t clark, 2011), 77)

“The origin of sin is the focus of events here. … That death, according to Paul, is not simply physical but also spiritual, since those who live according to the world’s ways and seek to satisfy their inborn desires are dead in their sins (Eph. 2:1–3) (Andrew E. Steinmann, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, ed. David G. Firth, vol. 1 of The Tyndale Commentary Series (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2019), 68)

Turn to Genesis 3. What words or phrases there stick out to you as a description of sin?

4.     When people read Genesis 3 and the fall into sin, they often refer us to Romans 8. The apostle Paul probably said it better than anyone else. Let's read Romans 8:18-27. What words did Paul use to describe what happened to all of creation when Adam and Eve sinned?

5.     The Bible tells us that sin has affected men and women in so many ways. What does it tell us in the following passages?

Genesis 16:1-6

Genesis 19:1-8

Genesis 30:1-16

Genesis 34:1-4

Genesis 38

Genesis 39

2 Samuel 11:1-5

2 Samuel 13:1-22

1 Kings 21:1-14

Matthew 19:1-12

6.     Based on these verses and the previous passages we read, how would you summarize what “sin” is for men and women?

7.     One last heavy question. The Bible tells us that sin has deeply affected men, women, and our relationships, but it mostly focuses us on behavior. It doesn’t try to specify our convictions or beliefs.

For that we look to other writers, who have tried to help us see what sin means for our convictions and beliefs.

For example, Lisa Swartz suggests “gendered stories” display the effects of sin. “American evangelical stories buttress constructions of meaning, identity, and power that center men.” (Lisa Swartz, Stained Glass Ceilings, pg 15)

Others criticize patriarchy. John Locke criticized the patriarchy in the 1600s and people keep on with it. “There is no evidence that women are any less capable of the jobs and social positions that men predominantly hold. When women are given the opportunity to hold “male” roles, they show themselves to be equally proficient. Researchers recently calculated that it was bias against women, not under-representation, that accounts for the gender distribution seen in the Nobel prizes, for instance. Women are not less intelligent, less logical or less able than men. The roots of patriarchy, in other words, cannot be found in our biology.” (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/02/smashing-the-patriarchy-why-theres-nothing-natural-about-male-supremacy)

Some criticize complementarianism, the view that “men and women are created of equal value in the image of God, but have differing, complementary roles in the home and the church.” The “future of complementarianism looks grim, because it was developed as a response to a specific set of cultural circumstances in the late 1980s that no longer exist” (https://aaronrenn.substack.com/p/newsletter-30-complementarianism)

The apostle Paul might be the one biblical author who didn’t just describe what sin did to the behaviors of men and women, but even to our ideology. “Paul argues in Romans 1:24-25 that people who surrender their bodies to sex as if it were a supernatural, cosmic, divine power do not gain superhuman activity but actually pollute themselves. … He therefore argues that sexual impurity in all its manifestations involves idolatry and apostasy from the living God. It is an aspect of our rebellion against God and a denial of our creaturely status. It is false worship, for it seeks from another body what no body can give. It makes an idol of the ideal human body and puts it in God’s place.” (John Kleinig, Wonderfully Made, pg 155)

Which description of the beliefs or convictions connects with you?

8.     It is hard to explore all the ways sin hurts and ruins the lives of men and women. It’s heavy, and so real.

God stuck this one sentence into his description of men, women and sin. He said,

“And I will put enmity

between you and the woman,

and between your offspring  and hers;

he will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

The apostle Paul goes so far as to say, “26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Friends, this is good news. If you can, take a moment and share why.  

God's Church

Introduction

Lesson 1

God's Church Lesson 1

Lesson 2

God’s Church Lesson 2

Lesson 3

God’s Church Lesson 3

Lesson 4

God’s Church Lesson 4

Lesson 5

God’s Church Lesson 5

Lesson 6

God’s Church Lesson 6

Lesson 7

God's Church Lesson 7

Lesson 8

God's Church Lesson 8

Lesson 9

God’s Church Lesson 9 https://timfam-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/nathaniel_timfam_us/EYBk1glkDJZKqYsAv1Y_m_sBy8kmM7JzpQAzxAvqc6TXTw?e=jOkk5h

Faith and Culture: A faith that sees through Culture

Summary

Only the Christian faith offers a faith that is filled with truths that seem to compete, but when we believe both truths, everything becomes clear.

• God both judges and forgives sin.

• God includes everyone through Jesus but excludes everyone who is not connected to Jesus

• God is spiritual and works in our physical world

• God gives us eternal life and life already now in Jesus

All these ideas and so many more are true.

Our next study will take a look at “Faith and Culture” as we seek a faith that sees through culture.

Join us Sunday at 7:50 am, Wednesday at 6:30 pm, or Thursday online at 8:00 pm. Starting May 30th! This will be our summer session.

I’ll have a special joint workshop on Saturday, May 21st at 9:00 am. I’ll roll a number of the sessions all into one!

Want one of the books that will guide us? Grab it here. Faith That Sees Through the Culture (cph.org)

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 study guide: Faith that sees through Culture: External Evil

Lesson 2

Lesson 2 study guide: Faith that sees through Culture: Internal Struggles

Leson 3

Lesson 3 study guide: Faith that sees through Culture: Reality

Lesson 4

Lesson 4 study guide: Faith that sees through Culture: Who am I?

Lesson 5

Lesson 5 study guide: Faith that Sees Through Culture: Who are They?

Lesson 6

Lesson 6 study guide: Faith that Sees Through Culture: Where are we?

Lesson 7

Lesson 7 study guide: Faith that Sees Through Culture: When are we?

Lesson 8

Lesson 8 study guide: Faith that Sees Through Culture: What do I say?

Lesson 9

Lesson 9 study guide: Faith that Sees Through Culture: 20/20 vision

A Forever Family

The study

Families of the Bible Word (for taking notes on the computer)

Families of the Bible PDF (for printing)

Daily Devotions

Families of the Bible Devotions (for printing)

Week 1 Supplementary Materials

Newsletter #21: The Tragic Landscape of Modern Relationships (substack.com)

Week 2 Supplementary Materials

The essence of marriage - Tim Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage Chapter 5

Practical aspects of building a strong family - Gottman

Week 3 Supplementary Materials

Bible study: The importance of the family altar – FORWARD IN CHRIST

Have You Built a Family Altar? - The Hausvater Project

Week 4 Supplementary Materials

Week 5 Supplementary Materials

Serving Each Other Through Forgiveness and Reconciliation

Week 6 Supplementary Materials

"Deep in the Heart"

Week 7 Supplementary Materials

Week 8 Supplementary Materials

Stories that Sneak in (The Parables of Jesus) Lesson 6: The Fulfillment of the Kingdom

Introduction

Before we begin, this is quick reminder of what we’ve considered so far:

• God’s kingdom is coming

  • to rule primarily hearts not people groups

  • in small and imperceptible ways that only later become visible, rather than in large and forceful ways

  • everywhere, not in specific times and places

• God’s kingdom is a kingdom of grace right alongside righteousness (the nature of the kingdom), not just a kingdom of righteousness

• The God of the kingdom rebukes the righteous and accepts sinners.

• The kingdom of God demands everything from us. It costs us everything.

• God will gather many for the kingdom and will reject those who reject him.

1. Watch the beginning of this video clip (up to 2:54). How do you answer the question, if God is good, why is there so much evil?

Getting into God’s Word

Let’s read Matthew 25:31-46

2. There are a few more things we should consider to better understand the points of this parable. Keep watching from 2:55 on.

• The Son of Man will judge

• Sheep on the right, goats on the left

• The sheep inherit the kingdom

• The goats are sent into the eternal fire

• Our eternal destiny is connected to how we treat others

3. Who are the “least of these”?

4. This parable teaches about good works. Does it command good works? Does it teach that we earn salvation by doing good works? What is the relation between faith and good works?

5. What is the judgment at the end of this parable?

6. Do you think the fire is real or metaphorical?

7. Let’s summarize the point of this parable, perhaps using the comparison it makes. Let’s see if we can be clear about it with a “just as …. so also” statement.

“Just as (the main message of the parable) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Could it be that the fire Jesus talked about is an eternal search for God that is never quenched? That indeed would be hell. To be away from God forever, separated from his presence. ”

— Billy Graham, The Challenge, Sermons from Madison Square Garden, pages 74-75

….so also ….. (God deals with the world) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

Getting the Word into our lives

8. Do you think many church goers have good works that go with their faith? If they do, why? If they don’t, why don’t they?

9. We aren’t very comfortable discussing God’s judgment and hell. Why do you think that is? Are there ways to discuss them that advance the kingdom?

Wrap Up

Split into groups of 2 or 3.

10. What’s a passage from this Scripture that impacted you?

11. How are you going to respond to this message?

12. Who is one person you’d like to share this with?

Stories that Sneak in (The Parables of Jesus) Lesson 5: The Mission of the Kingdom

Introduction

Before we begin, this is quick reminder of what we’ve considered so far:

• God’s kingdom is coming

  • to rule primarily hearts not people groups

  • in small and imperceptible ways that only later become visible, rather than in large and forceful ways

  • everywhere, not in specific times and places

• God’s kingdom is a kingdom of grace right alongside righteousness (the nature of the kingdom), not just a kingdom of righteousness

• The God of the kingdom rebukes the righteous and accepts sinners.

• The kingdom of God demands everything from us. It costs us everything.

1. “The power of the personal mission statement lies in your vision and in a commitment to that vision, that purpose, and those principle-centered values. They will control your decisions, determine your outlook, and provide the direction for your future.” (Stephen R. Covey, How to Develop Your Personal Mission Statement) Do you know your mission in life?

Getting into God’s Word

Let’s read Matthew 22:1-14

2. What do we need to know to understand the original story? Watch the clip below.

• The invitation to the banquet

• The surprising twist “We’re not going”

• A political allegiance: the king’s son

• the gracious king’s second offer

“The mistreatment of royal representatives was outright treason, constituting a declaration of revolt.”

— Craig Keener

• weak excuses

• the sent one is as the sender

• judgment

• go and invite the unworthy
  

3. We noticed that earlier parables were told in a specific context and referred to specific people or time. Do you think that this parable is talking about someone or something in particular? If it does refer to specific people or times, what do you think Jesus is trying to tell these people?

4. “Everyone who is defiled in the flesh, paralyzed in his feet or hands, lame, blind, deaf, dumb ... shall not enter to take their place among the congregation.” (Rule of the congregation 2:3-8 (Qumran))

“Yahweh of Hosts will make for all the people in this mountain a meal and though the Gentiles suppose it is an honor, it will be a shame for them, and great plagues, plagues from which they will be unable to escape, plagues whereby they will come to their end".” (Targum to Isaiah 2:5-6)

Compare those two quotes with Matthew 22:8-10. How are they similar or different? What does that say about God’s kingdom?

5. Do you think the churches in our community are more going out to seek the lost or letting the lost come to them? Give an example or two.

“Some think that the idea of “burning the city” found in this parable foretells what actually happens to Jerusalem, which was invaded by the Romans in 66 AD and finally destroyed with fire in 70 AD”

6. Let’s summarize the point of this parable, perhaps using the comparison it makes. Let’s see if we can be clear about it with a “just as …. so also” statement.

“Just as (the main message of the parable) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Praesent id libero id metus varius consectetur ac eget diam. Nulla felis nunc, consequat laoreet lacus id.”

— Rule of the Congregation 2:3-8 (Qumran)

….so also ….. (God deals with the world) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

Getting the Word into our lives

7. In verse 9, Jesus tells us to invite anyone we can find. In the ancient world, that would have been a mix of Jewish, Greek, Egyptian, Roman, and many different middle Eastern groups. There would have been rich, poor, sick, well, and many more. What kind of people will we find around us?

8. The first people invited were too busy to enjoy the banquet. Are you too busy for God and his kingdom? What might you be missing if you are busy?

9. The people at the banquet were asked to wear wedding clothes. One was thrown out because he didn’t have any. Are you wearing your wedding clothes? What is your favorite part of the attire?

Wrap Up

Split into groups of 2 or 3.

10. What’s a passage from this Scripture that impacted you?

11. How are you going to respond to this message?

12. Who is one person you’d like to share this with?

Stories that Sneak in (The Parables of Jesus) Lesson 4: The Demand of the Kingdom

Introduction

Before we begin, this is quick reminder of what we’ve considered so far:

• God’s kingdom is coming

  • to rule primarily hearts not people groups

  • in small and imperceptible ways that only later become visible, rather than in large and forceful ways

  • everywhere, not in specific times and places

• God’s kingdom is a kingdom of grace right alongside righteousness (the nature of the kingdom), not just a kingdom of righteousness

• The God of the kingdom rebukes the righteous and accepts sinners.

1. One description of recent attitudes toward Christianity that some people have found helpful is as follows.

• Positive World (Pre-1994)

  • To be seen as a religious person and one who exemplifies traditional Christian norms is a social positive. Christianity is a status enhancer. In some cases failure to embrace those norms hurt you. 

  • In 1987 the Miami Herald reported that Sen. Gary Hart had been having an affair, and cavorting with the woman in question on his yacht. He was forced to drop out of the presidential race as a result.

• Neutral World (1994-2014)

  • Christianity is seen as a socially neutral attribute.  It no longer had a dominant status in society, but to be seen as a religious person is not a knock either. It’s more like a personal affectation or hobby. Traditional norms of behavior retain residual force. 

  • In 1998 the Drudge Report broke the story that Bill Clinton had been having an affair with intern Monica Lewinksy, including sex acts in the Oval Office. Bill Clinton was badly damaged by the scandal but survived it as the Democratic Party rallied around him and the public decided his private behavior was not relevant to the job.

• Negative World (2014-)

  • In this world, being a Christian is a social negative, especially in high-status positions. Christianity in many ways as seen as undermining the social good. Traditional norms are expressly repudiated. 

  • In 2016 Donald Trump, whose entire persona (sexual antics, excess consumption, boastfulness, etc.) is antithetical to traditional Christianity, is elected president. The Access Hollywood tape, for example, had no effect on voter decisions about him.

Which world is our community part of? Any reasons for thinking that?

As the world becomes more negative, the kingdom seems to demand more. Jesus always taught the demand of the kingdom.

Getting into God’s Word

Let’s read Matthew 13:44-46

5. What are some historical insights that help us understand this parable? Watch the clip below.

• The possibility of finding buried treasure in Palestine

• The seemingly dishonest or shady choices of the hired hand

• The value of pearls in the first century
  

6. Why do you think these people sold everything they had in order to purchase the land or the pearl? From what Jesus said in Matthew 13:44 -46, do you think that it was a hard decision for them to make?

7. This parable would not have been considered scandalous or dishonest in Jesus’ day. Watch some more.

• the rabbis had rules for ownerless property

• to acquire ownerless property, one had to move it

• the field hand had to take a bold course of action

9. What is the surprise or twist in this parable?

Is there anything in this world that you would sell everything to get?

10. A good way to summarize the point of the parable is to grasp the comparison it makes. Let’s see if we can be clear about it with a “just as …. so also” statement.

“Just as (the main message of the parable) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

….so also ….. (God deals with the world) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

““Unfortunately, it is all too easy to lose sight of this value and so lose the joy. This is the danger of those who grow up in fine Christian homes and good churches but who take this for granted. if a person has always known the message, he or she may not really grasp the value of the gospel.””

— Michael Wilkins

Getting the Word into our lives

11. Reflect to the times when you’ve found Jesus - the first, second, or fiftieth. Share whether or not it was difficult. Presumably changes have happened in your life since then. What? Reflect on whether some of that early joy and enthusiasm has been lost.

12. Was your conversion to the kingdom of God more like the field’s hand’s (an unexpected surprise) or like the pearl merchant’s (an expected surprise)? Why?

Wrap Up

Split into groups of 2 or 3.

13. What’s a passage from this Scripture that impacted you?

14. How are you going to respond to this message?

15. Who is one person you’d like to share this with?

Stories that Sneak in (The Parables of Jesus) Lesson 3: The God and people of the kingdom

Introduction

Before we begin, this is quick reminder of what we’ve considered so far:

• God’s kingdom is coming

  • to rule primarily hearts not people groups

  • in small and imperceptible ways that only later become visible, rather than in large and forceful ways

  • everywhere, not in specific times and places

• God’s kingdom is a kingdom of grace right alongside righteousness (the nature of the kingdom), not just a kingdom of righteousness

1. Compare these two quotes…

“In one hour's time I will be out there again. I will raise my eyes and look down that corridor; 4 feet wide, with 10 lonely seconds to justify my whole existence. But will I?” (Harold Abrahams, Chariots of Fire)

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast! And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” (Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire, watch below)

What do you think is the difference? Who do you think most people are?

Getting into God’s Word

Today we’re looking at parables about God and the people of the kingdom. Who are they? What are they like?

Let’s read Luke 15:11-32.

4. Understanding this parable has to start with the event that it is part of. Look at Luke 15:1-2. What was happening when Jesus started the parable?

5. Let’s dig into this parable and try to understand some of the historical and cultural points of the parable. Watch the clip below then discuss some of the historical and cultural background.

• The younger son vs the elder son as a recipient of the inheritance

• An honor/shame society and community, and the implications of the younger son’s request

• The legal impact on the younger son’s status

“Pigs were unclean animals for the Jews (Leviticus 11:7, Deuteronomy 14:8) and to tend them was viewed as despicable work. .... The Jews considered the loss of family property to Gentiles a particularly grievous offense and grounds for excommunication.”

— Mark Strauss

• The elder son’s family status now that the father has dispersed his will

• The younger son caring for pigs

• The father running

• The elder son working in the field

• The robe, the ring, and the fatted calf

6. The picture on the left is from Rembrandt (1669). It is one of the most famous renderings of this story. What’s good about it? What perhaps could have been different?

7. If we accept that the younger son is shaming his father by asking for his inheritance, what are the reasons that the father doesn’t just let him become a servant, but welcomes him back as a son?

8. This parable has so many subtle points, but definitely one of the insights comes in the difference between verse 18, 19, and then verse 21. What is the difference?

9. What is the surprise or twist in this parable?

10. A good way to summarize the point of the parable is to grasp the comparison it makes. Let’s see if we can be clear about it with a “just as …. so also” statement.

“Just as (the main message of the parable) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

….so also ….. (God deals with the world) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

““According to Middle Eastern custom, the oldest son should have been the key reconciler between the father and his rebellious sibling.””

— Mark Strauss

Getting the Word into our lives

11. In order to apply this parable well, we need to have a basic understanding of the following ideas. Our understanding needs to work with the parable! (yes, these are big church words, sorry :-))

• Forgiveness

• Reconciliation

• The church

• Repentance

• Justification

12. For those who are already part of the church, verse 31 is the most important verse in the parable: “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” What does this verse mean? What does it look like to take this verse to heart and believe it?

Wrap Up

Split into groups of 2 or 3.

13. What’s a passage from this Scripture that impacted you?

14. How are you going to respond to this message?

15. Who is one person you’d like to share this with?

Stories that Sneak in (The Parables of Jesus) Lesson 2: The Grace of the Kingdom

Introduction

1. What do you think about this interaction, specifically these lines “I know you’ll never forgive me”?

2. Have you ever felt or reacted like the fox?

3. Last week we heard that God’s kingdom is coming.

• It is not ruling people groups but hearts.

• It does not come with largeness and shows of force, but in small and imperceptible ways that only become visible over time.

• it is not isolated to specific times and places but spreads everywhere.

Where did you see God show up this week?

Getting into God’s Word

Today we’re looking at parables communicating the grace of the kingdom. Our study today will tell us more what that means.

Let’s read Luke 7:36-50 (This incident and the parable it includes are considered to be summaries of the Luke 15 parables - the parables par excellence about grace)

4. Let’s dig into the historical and cultural background of this story. There are at least a few points we want to understand. I’ve listed them in 5. But first, write down one thing that interests you about this story.

5. Watch this brief clip and make notes about each cultural/historical point listed below.

• Ritual greetings in Jesus’ day (check verse 44 possibly for help)

• Male/female relationships

• Simon’s theological and cultural beliefs (verse 39)

5. In your own words, what is the dilemma that Jesus’ faces?

6. What is the surprise or twist in this parable?

7. Let’s discuss the meaning of this parable. What does this parable teach about the operating system of God’s kingdom? If you aren’t sure or just want to think about it some more, watch the clip below.

8. Verse 47 is important to understand. How do you understand it?

Getting the Word into our lives

15. Do you see yourself as having been forgiven maybe $20,000 or having been forgiven $100,000 plus? What difference has this realization made in your life?

16.

17. CS Lewis offers wise words to direct our regular forgiveness.

“Take it first about God's forgiveness, I find that when I think I am asking God to forgive me I am often in reality (unless I watch myself very carefully) asking Him to do something quite different. I am asking him not to forgive me but to excuse me. But there is all the difference in the world between forgiving and excusing.

“Forgiveness says, "Yes, you have done this thing, but I accept your apology; I will never hold it against you and everything between us two will be exactly as it was before." If one was not really to blame then there is nothing to forgive. In that sense forgiveness and excusing are almost opposites. Of course, in dozens of cases, either between God and man, or between one man and another, there may be a mixture of the two. Part of what at first seemed to be the sins turns out to be really nobody's fault and is excused; the bit that is left over is forgiven.

“If you had a perfect excuse, you would not need forgiveness; if the whole of your actions needs forgiveness, then there was no excuse for it.

“But the trouble is that what we call "asking God's forgiveness" very often really consists in asking God to accept our excuses. What leads us into this mistake is the fact that there usually is some amount of excuse, some "extenuating circumstances." We are so very anxious to point these things out to God (and to ourselves) that we are apt to forget the very important thing; that is, the bit left over, the bit which excuses don't cover, the bit which is inexcusable but not, thank God, unforgivable. And if we forget this, we shall go away imagining that we have repented and been forgiven when all that has really happened is that we have satisfied ourselves without own excuses. They may be very bad excuses; we are all too easily satisfied about ourselves.

“There are two remedies for this danger. One is to remember that God knows all the real excuses very much better than we do. If there are real "extenuating circumstances" there is no fear that He will overlook them. Often He must know many excuses that we have never even thought of, and therefore humble souls will, after death, have the delightful surprise of discovering that on certain occasions they sinned much less than they thought. All the real excusing He will do.

“What we have got to take to Him is the inexcusable bit, the sin. We are only wasting our time talking about all the parts which can (we think) be excused. When you go to a Dr. you show him the bit of you that is wrong -say, a broken arm. It would be a mere waste of time to keep on explaining that your legs and throat and eyes are all right. You may be mistaken in thinking so, and anyway, if they are really right, the doctor will know that.

“The second remedy is really and truly to believe in the forgiveness of sins. A great deal of our anxiety to make excuses comes from not really believing in it, from thinking that God will not take us to Himself again unless He is satisfied that some sort of case can be made out in our favor. But that is not forgiveness at all. Real forgiveness means looking steadily at the sin, the sin that is left over without any excuse, after all allowances have been made, and seeing it in all its horror, dirt, meanness, and malice, and nevertheless being wholly reconciled to the man who has done it.

“When it comes to a question of our forgiving other people, it is partly the same and partly different. It is the same because, here also forgiving does not mean excusing. Many people seem to think it does. They think that if you ask them to forgive someone who has cheated or bullied them you are trying to make out that there was really no cheating or bullying. But if that were so, there would be nothing to forgive. (This doesn't mean that you must necessarily believe his next promise. It does mean that you must make every effort to kill every taste of resentment in your own heart -every wish to humiliate or hurt him or to pay him out.)

“The difference between this situation and the one in which you are asking God's forgiveness is this. In our own case we accept excuses too easily, in other people's we do not accept them easily enough. As regards my own sins it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are not really so good as I think; as regards other men's sins against me it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are better than I think.

“One must therefore begin by attending to everything which may show that the other man was not so much to blame as we thought. But even if he is absolutely fully to blame we still have to forgive him; and even if ninety-nine per cent of his apparent guilt can be explained away by really good excuses, the problem of forgiveness begins with the one per cent of guilt that is left over. To excuse, what can really produce good excuses is not Christian charity; it is only fairness. To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.

“This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life -to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son - How can we do it?

“Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night "Forgive our trespasses*as we forgive those that trespass against us." We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse God's mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions and God means what He says.” (CS Lewis, Essay on Forgiveness: Weight of Glory)

18. Toward whom or with whom can you use this great message?

Stories that Sneak in (The Parables of Jesus) Lesson 1: The Coming of the Kingdom

Introduction

1. Have you ever seen this image before? Do you know what it means?

2. God’s Word sneaks in in surprising ways too. In your own words, what happened to this guy?

Getting into God’s Word

3. The ancient stories that people used to sneak meaning into hearts were called parables. We’re going to spend the next weeks looking at biblical parables.

Before we get into today’s parable, let’s consider an introduction to parables in general.

4. What do you think parables are?

Let’s read Matthew 13: 24-33. In this section, Jesus tells three parables:

• the wheat and the weeds

• the mustard seed

• yeast

5. Briefly retell the parable of the weeds and the wheat in your own words, and try to avoid explaining it.

6. What is the surprise or twist in this parable?

7. Briefly retell the parable of the mustard seed in your own words, and again try to avoid explaining it.

8. What is the surprise or twist in this parable?

9. Briefly retell the parable of the yeast in your own words, and again try to avoid explaining it.

10. What is the surprise or twist in this parable?

11. Let’s discuss the meaning of this parable. What does this parable teach about the coming of the kingdom of God? If you aren’t sure or just want to think about it some more, watch the clip below.

12. Imagine that you were a Jewish person living in the first century as Jesus taught about the coming of the kingdom of God through these parables. Do you think that you would have understood what Jesus was trying to say, given the Jewish expectations of the immediate coming of the kingdom in all of its fullness? Why or why not?

13. Given that other “Messiah” figures existed around the time of Jesus, such as Judas Maccabeus, do you think it would have been easy or hard for the Jewish people to believe that Jesus was the true Messiah? Explain.

14. Do you think that it would have been surprising for the Jewish people to hear that the “enemy” of the farmer was not Rome but the Devil (Matthew 13:39)? Why?

Getting the Word into our lives

15. What do you see as the main or most common hindrances to the kingdom coming in your lives and the lives of the people around you?

16. In what ways do you see the promise of these three short parables:

that the kingdom is coming

that it primarily rules hearts

that it begins and works in small almost imperceptible ways

that it will eventually becoming visible

to be especially good and helpful?

17. Do you think that the truth found in these three short parables - that the kingdom is coming, that it primarily rules hearts, that it begins and works in small almost imperceptible ways, and that it will eventually becoming visible - is being lived out in your life and the group/tribe you belong to? If so, where do you see it (or not)?

18. If you don’t, believe this promise: God’s kingdom comes. Where his Word is and people receive it in faith, his rule and reign is coming.

“After the defeat of Hitler’s Nazi regime in World War II, Holocaust survivor and Christian Corrie ten Boom returned to Germany to declare the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. One evening, after giving her message, she was approached by a man who identified himself as a former Nazi guard from the concentration camp at Ravensbruck, where she had been held and where her sister, Betsie, had died. 

When Corrie saw the man’s face, she recognized him as one of the most cruel and vindictive guards from the camp. He reached out his hand and said to her, “A fine message, Fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea! You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk. I was a guard there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, will you forgive me?” About this encounter, Corrie writes: 

“I stood there—I whose sins had again and again been forgiven—and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place. Could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held out—but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I ever had to do . . . I had to do it—I knew that. [The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. . . . ] But forgiveness is not an emotion—I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. “Jesus, help me!” I prayed silently. 

 “As she reached out her hand to the former guard, Corrie says that something incredible took place. She continues: 

 “The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. “I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart!” . . . I had never known love so intensely, as I did then. But even then, I realized it was not my love . . . It was the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Scott Sauls, A Gentle Answer, Thomas Nelson, 2020, pp.19-20)”

Bring the gospel one by one:

Introduction

Watch the video from “One By One Part 7:

Getting going

1. In your own words, what is the point of the starfish story?

2. You cannot save every soul. But God can use you to save one soul.

3. What question does Pastor Rosenau encourage his members to ask people they meet? Is this a good question? Why or why not? What makes it effective?

Getting into God’s Word

Good sharing of God’s love is hard work, simply done well. We joke saying “You can have it easy, you can have it fast, or you can have it cheap”. Pick any two. Good sharing of God’s love is not easy, it’s good work. It might be financially cheap, but it requires significant time, energy and emotions. It’s not fast.

Jesus tells how hard he was willing to work, how slow the work would be, and how much it would cost. He compares himself to phonies. Let’s read John 10:1-21.

5. In John 10:1-21, Jesus makes a couple of comparisons. What are they? The most important one is the actual historical one. Be sure to note the characters in context.

6. Jesus provides a great description of a shepherd. Based on his description and what you know about shepherding, what do you notice about the work a shepherd does?

7. In verse 11, the absolute cost that the shepherd will pay is clearly stated. He lays down his life. He also hints at the cost the rest of us will pay to love well. What will it cost to follow the one shepherd and love others well?

8. Harold Senkbeil offers a great example to help us grasp who we need to become: the sheepdog that helps the shepherd. I think this is a good one for us because we love our pets so much. He writes,

““That dog was the docile and faithful agent of another mind. He used his whole intelligence and initiative, but always in obedience to his master’s directive will; and was ever prompt at self-effacement. The little mountain sheep he had to deal with were exceedingly tiresome, expert in doubling and twisting and going the wrong way as any naughty little boy. Even so, the dog went steadily on with it; his tail never ceased to wag.

The dog’s relation to the shepherd was the center of his life; and because of that, he enjoyed doing his job with the sheep, he did not bother about the trouble, nor get discouraged with the apparent results. The dog had transcended mere dogginess. His actions were dictated by something right beyond himself. He was the agent of the shepherd, working for a scheme which was not his own and the whole of which he could not grasp, and it was just that which was the source of the delightedness, the eagerness and also the discipline with which he worked. But he would not have kept that peculiar and intimate relation unless he had sat down and looked at the shepherd a good deal.””

— Harold Senkbeil, The Cure of Souls, pg 123

Taking it home

9. We’ve drawn a number of conclusions during our study about what it looks like to share God’s love well with one person at a time. Let’s try to bring that all together. What does it look like to love others well?

10. Do you have the mind, will, and feelings of a sheepdog? Do you have the master’s heart? How can we help?

Bring the gospel one by one: An amazing partnership

Introduction

Watch the video from “One By One Part 6:

Getting going

1. In our study, “One by One” we considered the following points:

1) Jesus frequently and even usually (but not always) loved one sheep at a time by loving them uniquely.

2) Every Christian has been uniquely prepared through their experience and God’s work to love others.

3) We might feel many reasons to be afraid of loving others, but with honesty, personal conversion and the experience of seeing others come alive, we can have courage.

4) God only uses the gospel to save people.

5) We can do many things to love other people. We always bring the gospel and will often only see any kind of effect with the Word.

2. What two simple things does Pastor Rosenau tell people he meets and invites to church?

3. Doing those two things not only makes the people he invites more comfortable when they visit. What is the added benefits for outreach for his church members?

4. How does Pastor Rosenau remind himself to make visits and hold himself accountable for making visits?

Getting into God’s Word

At first it seems like there is no way we could replicate Pastor Rosenau’s work. And yet it is nothing more than the healthy, functional partnership of pastor and people in caring for souls.

5. Mark 2:1-5 is one of the most famous examples of pastor and people working together in the Bible. Who works with whom? What do they do?

6. John 1:40-42 is another good example of pastor and people working together. What did they do? It seems so easy and natural. What do you think made it so easy?

7. Let’s jump ahead to Acts 16:13-15. Who works together there? In what way?

8. Sometimes that partnership is much harder and even confrontational. In 1 Corinthians 5:9-12, what does Paul want the Corinthians to do to work with him?

9. There are many passages that show us the partnership of God’s ministers and people. This partnership is deeply rooted in the doctrine of the ministry. We summarize this doctrine saying,

“That we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and sacraments as instruments, the Holy Spirit is given, who works faith where and when it pleases God, namely, that God, not for our own merits but for Christ’s sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake”

— Augsburg Confession Article V

If you read that quote and say, “I have no idea what it means”, don’t worry. None of us did the first 10 times we read it. But it means that God gave us ministry so that God can approve of believers. He didn’t give us pastors to fix everything. He gave us a job. And we all are glad to do it. Even you. You get to be part of God’s work.

Taking it home

10. If God is so big on the pastor-people partnership, what are some reasons it is so hard most of the time? Try to go beyond surface, basic reasons. Think about sociological, cultural, and interpersonal reasons.

11. What do you think are some of the ways we (pastor and people) can effectively and wisely work together right now? (For example, we could say, we’re going to work together to start a university. That doesn’t seem wise. We could also work together at preaching - like joint preaching. Again, that doesn’t seem wise.)

Bring the gospel one by one:

Introduction

Watch the video from “One By One Part 5: only the gospel saves (an example)

Getting going

1. Last week I told you that if you put anyone in contact with me, I would follow up with them. Sunday two new people were at church and although I didn't get to reach out to them personally (they didn't leave any contact info), I got to thank them both through their friends.

2. Where did you see God at work this week?

3. Rather than a program, what tool did Pastor Rosenau say God would use to grow the church? What tactic would God use? (Note: this question could create a false choice. For example, the way churches bring God’s Word to children is often called a “Sunday School” program. Programs are may be just ways to organize a group of people to share the Word.)

4. How many Bibles had the congregation given away as a result of their Christmas booth? How many people had become active as a result of the booth?

5. Identify the basic evangelism plan of the church.

Getting into God’s Word

Pastor Rosenau has made a great point: we have a great tool and tactic for growing the church in God’s Word. Let's consider his point within the context of God's Word by looking at Jesus' life and work.

6. Jesus did many different things as he brought the Word to people. List some of them in the passages below.

—John 2:1-11

—John 4:1-8

—Mark 2:1-12

—Mark 2:15-17

—Mark 2:23-28

—Matthew 14:13-21

Beyond these things, what are some other things Jesus did as part of his ministry?

7. Numerically speaking how well did they work?

8. Despite all the different things Jesus did as he ministered to people, he summarized his ministry as, “Repent and believe the good news, for the kingdom of God has come near.” (Mark 1:15) He passed it on to us saying “Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. (Mt 28:19) Keeping in mind all the things Jesus did (healing, helping, feeding, etc), what do you think Jesus would have said his evangelism plan or strategy was?

Taking it home

10. Discuss as a group what is going on culturally that makes it so hard for passing out candy and water bottles and slips for free Bibles to actually lead to people coming to church.

11. Discuss the cultural challenges with Pastor Rosenau's approach.

12. Close with prayer. The gospel is amazing. “it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). So no matter how you feel, as you go to someone else, remember you go with the very power of God.

Bring the gospel one by one: only the gospel saves

Introduction

Watch the video from “One By One Part 4: only the gospel saves (an example)

Getting going

1. What’s the ugliest thing you’ve seen in a church?

2. Where did you see God at work this week?

3. When Pastor Rosenau began his vicar year at the mission church, what were some of the things that would have seemed to limit the success the church could have reaching the people of the city?

4. Although he didn’t have any real knowledge of how to do evangelism, what did Pastor Rosenau tell his people he had plenty of?

5. What did Pastor Rosenau promise his people he would do whenever they put him into contact with someone?

4. Although he said he had plenty of courage, what did Pastor Rosenau discover as he sat in his car before going out to knock on doors?

5. What two things did Pastor Rosenau tell people they could expect when he invited them to church?

Getting into God’s Word

The Old Testament has a number of events where God shared his Word with one person at a time, and against really long odds, brought that person into his kingdom. He often did this instead of going after large groups of people. We might think of examples like: Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses to Jethro, Rahab in Jericho, Elisha to Naaman of Syria.

Paying attention to these events helps us recognize how unique the times were when God chose to rescue large groups of people: Jonah to Ninevah or Nehemiah to the Jews who had been left behind.

Today we want to focus on one of those times when God rescued one person by his Word and the many challenges he had to overcome. Let’s read the story of Rahab in Joshua 2:1-24.

6. Tell us about Rahab.

7. In verses 8 - 11, especially verse 11, what did Rahab and the people of the city of Jericho feel about the coming Israelites? Compare what they felt with what people might feel about Christians today.

8. In verse 14, how did the spies promise to treat Rahab?

I can’t help but think there is a wonderful reminder here. If we talk to people in their houses or the coffee shop or they choose to spend time with us at church, we might owe them something. Yes, we are the ones giving away God’s grace. Yes, we should treat them well whether they receive us or not. But we might event have a small debt or obligation to repay.

9. In verse 24, what did the men take away from their time with Rahab? Do you ever feel like there might be a time or a season for work in a city or place? What do you do if it isn’t the time or season?

Taking it home

10. I can make the same promise to you that Pastor Rosenau made. If you put me in contact with someone,

• I will connect with them to say hello

• I will pray for them and offer to pray specifically for them

• I will offer to share the gospel with them

11. Almost everyone has something or things that they don’t like about their church. This can keep us from inviting others. Instead of focusing on those things, what can we focus on that will encourage us to invite others? (try to be specific to give us real help)

Bring the gospel one by one: Courage to do tough stuff

Introduction

Watch the video from “One By One Part 3: Courage to do tough stuff

1. What question did the chief ask Pastor Rosenau when they were in the duck blind that makes it clear that Pastor had let his light shine while serving as a detective?

2. When Pastor Rosenau told the chief that, “…the important thing for guys like us is to know that Jesus is our Savior” and the chief replied “You have no idea who I really am.” What do you suppose he meant?

3. How did Pastor Rosenau demonstrate true love the day after the chief called him?

Getting connected

4. What good can we do around here?

5. I would guess that most of us feel uncomfortable or awkward about sharing the gospel of Jesus. Do you know what it is about that moment that makes you feel uncomfortable?

Getting into God’s Word

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 4:1-14. This is a great section of the Bible for courage in witnessing God’s love.

6. In verses 1-2, the apostle Paul offers the first reason that he has courage to speak God’s Word. What is it? _____________________. I think it might be worth asking ourselves. If we find we lack courage, perhaps it is because we lack honestly.

7. In verses 3-6, Paul gives a second reason for his courage. I’m going to summarize it is as personal conversion. He genuinely trusts Jesus as his Lord and Savior. So he can say, they’re perishing. God his lit up my life. I hope you can say the same. I’m not always comfortable saying that other people are perishing and God has really shined a light in my life.

8. In verses 7-10, Paul lists all the bad stuff which you would imagine would hurt his courage.

• hard pressed

• crushed

• perplexed

• despair

• persecuted

• abandoned

• struck down

• destroyed

Which bothers you the most? Any examples?

9. In verses 10-11, Paul gives the final reason that he has courage. In your own words, explain what he is saying.

Taking it home

10. Break up into groups of 2-3. Share with others something that you need courage to do related to God’s Word. It might be listening to a coworker, confronting a family member, evangelizing an acquaintance, or much more. Then pray for each other.

Bring the gospel one by one: you've been prepared (Lesson 2)

Introduction

Watch the video from “One By One Part 2: Personally Prepared”

1. What are some ways God prepared Pastor Rosenau to be a pastor when he was ….?

a mortician

a detective

2. What were some things Pastor Rosenau and his wife sacrificed for him to serve as a detective?

4. The gospel is always about Jesus - his life, death, and resurrection for us. The gospel shows up in all our lives differently to prepare us for work in his kingdom. What are some ways God prepared the following people for lives of service:

• Joseph

• Esther

• Paul

Getting connected

5. What do you consider to be one of the most fundamental events of your life - what event really prepared you for your work in God’s kingdom?

6. What kind of conversations are you having with pre-Christians?

Bible study

Let’s read Romans 6:1-7

8. According to Paul in this section and especially Romans 6:4, what was the first step in the process? What is the second step or end result?

9. In your own words, what does it mean to be united with Christ in his death and resurrection?

10. Paul says that the body ruled by sin is done away with and we are united with him in his resurrection. We can leave behind our sin, death, guilt, and failure and live God’s new life. What has God left behind for you? What is God making new in you?

11. For most (all?) Christians, this sense of dieing and rising with Christ becomes real at some point. Whether we were baptized as children or adults, we experience a kind of leaving behind of our old life and we embrace a new life. Have you?

Getting it into our lives

12. Learning to tell our own story of God’s work in our lives is very useful. Here is one way I’ve found that isn’t too corny.

• list three people who have had a deep impact on your life. What advice did they give or what example did they leave?

• List three books, articles, Bible passages, sermons or sayings that have helped form the foundations of your beliefs, especially leadership beliefs.

• List at least three significant events that profoundly shaped your life point of view. Then list what you learned from those events.

What story can you tell about yourself?

Bring the gospel one by one: to each soul (Lesson 1)

Introduction

Getting connected

1. What was a highlight of the last month?

2. What has God been saying to you in his Word lately?

Teaching

Watch the video from “One By One”.

3. Joann said she would not be back the next week because she didn’t have the courage. What does this tell us about the challenge of an unchurched person walking into a church?

4. Joann said she did not believe there was a heaven. What would likely have happened if Pastor Rosenau had tried to change her mind?

5. Joann’s husband, Dick, didn’t believe there was a God and said that men wrote the Bible, not God. How did pastor’s response demonstrate both humility and confidence?

6. After Joann died, why could pastor’s wife say that what they had sacrificed for him to become a pastor would have been worth it if it was just for Joann?

7. Pastor Rosenau does a really good job of treating Joann as an individual. What did he miss?

Bible study

8. When Jesus wanted to spread his ideas, he told people “Come follow me and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19) When he finished his work and wanted his people to spread the news, he told them, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) He didn’t say things like, “Come follow me and I’ll make you smarter.” He didn’t say, “Go inform everyone”. He said make disciples. What makes Jesus prefer “make disciples” instead of “make you smarter”?

9. CS Lewis once said, “Being a great theologian can easily be mistaken for being a good Christian.” What do you think he meant? Are you a better theologian or Christian?

10. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) Jesus is connecting at least two important biblical truths here. What are they? Then discuss some of the ways Jesus did so well speaking to his own sheep.

Getting it into our lives

11. I don’t think that it takes any great spiritual ability or skill to be able to do what Pastor Rosenau did. Have you? What kind of response do you have to the idea? (Confused, excited, scared, overwhelmed, etc).

12. Think of a person you would like to love better with the love of Jesus. I would guess that person doesn’t believe in Jesus or follow Jesus well. What do you know about this person’s past experience that is particular to them? (Don’t assume you don’t know; you probably just don’t realize you know.)

The Conversation Lesson 8 - The End

Introduction

“How could a loving God send people to hell?”

“We tend to think of heaven and hell primarily as places to be sent. Some imagine our destination depends on our deeds: if we are on balance “good people”, we can expect heaven, while bad people like Hitler and Stalin languish in hell. Others think Christianity sorts people into heaven and hell on the apparently arbitrary basis of their assent to certain statements. Those lucky enough to have been told about Jesus and credulous enough to believe he died in their place are sent to heaven. Those who have not heard, or have other religious preferences, or are simply too smart to believe this crazy story of a resurrected man are capriciously dispatched to a place called hell.”

Tonight we’ll try to answer the question: how could a loving God send people to hell.

Getting connected

1. What has God been up to in your life lately? Any obstacles, difficulties, and successes in noticing God at work?

2. As we closed last week, we reviewed eight biblical practices for building up the body of Christ. Were you able to practice one of the practices this week? How did it go?

Practice 1: affirming one another’s strengths, abilities and gifts

Practice 2: affirming one another’s equal importance in Christ

Practice 3: affirming one another through concern and affection

Practice 4: sharing one another’s space, goods, and time

Practice 5: sharing one another’s needs and problems

Practice 6: sharing one another’s beliefs, thinking and spirituality

Practice 7: serving one another through accountability

Practice 8: serving one another through forgiveness and reconciliation

Teaching

Watch the brief video on the end times and take a few notes (What Christians Ought to Believe, Lesson 16, )

3. In the Bible, heaven refers to

• “the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) = “the cosmological world above and beyond earth” (Bird), “the visible sky above our heads” (Lange”

• “the dwelling place of God” (Lange), “the divine command center from which the Almighty orders the cosmos” (Bird)

• “our treasure” (Matthew 6:19-20)

• “our citizenship” (Philippians 3:20)

• the place where believers go upon death (2 Corinthians 5:1-4, Philippians 1:23, Revelation 6:10-11)

4. Heaven is not our final destination. Heaven is a waiting place for people who belong in the new ____________ and the new ______________. “Christians do not believe in the ________________ of the __________, but in the __________________ of the _________. “ (13:10) A lot of people think about eternity as they grow older. But how do you think of eternity? As a spirit life, a body life, or something else?

5. In the biblical view, both Christians and ______________ will rise from the dead.

6. The biblical teaching of hell is another difficult one. There have been many attempts to explain it and even justify it. Take a look at the following ideas about hell and see which matches what the Bible teaches, as best you can tell.

• metaphorical

• eternal death = “eternal separation from God’s grace and mercy” (Deutschlander, pg 548)

• annihilationism = the belief that those who are not approved of by God at the end will cease to exist

• purgatory

• “the eternal and punitive quarantining of a humanity that has ceased to be human” (Bird, pg 217)

7. About the timing of the end, there are basically four major ideas. They’re summarized on the chart below. We’ve never spent much time talking about these different ideas. Use the chart below to try to explain one way of thinking about the end of the world.

8. The Bible saves it most beautiful truth for the idea of the new heavens and new earth. We’ll look at that teaching more carefully in our Bible study below.

Bible study

Read the following introductory paragraph, then read Revelation 21:1-8.

Please read Revelation 21:1-8

9. The book of Revelation reports the revelation John received when he was taken up into heaven. Let’s assume that Revelation 20 and 21 report the end of the story. According to these verses, what is the end of God’s big, cosmic story (i.e. what are the events)?

10. Verse 1 tells us that a new heavens and a new earth will replace the first heavens and earth. This is the end of the story; not heaven. Then it makes this strange comment “there was no longer any sea”. What do you think that might mean?

11. Describe the new heavens and new earth according to these verses.

12. Compare and contrast the two groups of people in verses 6-8. In a world with so many shades of grey (i.e., things aren’t black and white), what do you think of God’s strict black and white world?

Application

13. “How could a loving God send people to hell? Every other question pales in comparison. This one is about the end of the story, and it is the most difficult thing Christians are called to believe.” What do you think? How do you answer the question, “How could a loving God send people to hell?”

The Conversation Lesson 7 - The Church and Ministry

Introduction

“A study released last week by the Survey Center on American Life shows the number of both men and women who claim to have "no close friends" increasing five-fold over the past 30 years. For men, the rate of friendlessness has gone from 3 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2021, and for women from 2 percent to 10 percent today. The pattern is the same on the high end, with the percentage of men saying they have 10 or more friends dropping from 40 to 15 percent and the percentage of women saying the same falling from 28 to 11 percent.

“It's bad for the lonely, isolated individuals themselves, because having close ties to other people is strongly correlated with various markers of physical and mental health. Without such ties, individuals tend to grow unhappy and unhealthy and can even sink into depression.

“But it's also a bad sign for our country and our society, culture, and economy, since it could mean that we're developing in a direction that will make more of us lonelier and more isolated. That is bound to lead to deep and increasingly widespread discontent with our way of life.” The politics of loneliness is totalitarian | The Week

God responds with a church and its ministry.

Getting connected

1. What good can we do around here?

2. Last week we were asked, “what tells you you believe in Jesus?” and “how well is your faith”? What reflections did you have on those two questions this week?

Teaching

Today we focus on the biblical teaching of the church as well as its ministry.

3. Here are two statements that tell us what the church is:

• The church is “the assembly of believers brought together by the Holy Spirit through the means of grace.” (Lange, God So Loved the World, pg 535).

• “All those who have this faith [believe that Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God who suffered and died in payment for our sins and who has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, is their one and only Savior] are members of the invisible church in which alone forgiveness, life, and eternal salvation are to be found.” (Deutschlander, Grace Abounds, pg 445)

What stands out to you or surprises you from these sentences about the church?

4. The Bible doesn't use the word “church” very often. When it does, it refers to the people - never to the building or the organization. The Bible refers to the group of believers in all kinds of ways:

• elect

• flock

• remnant

• body of Christ

• Israel

• royal priesthood

• holy nation

Choose one way the Bible describes the people of God, tell what it means (what is the particular emphasis of the term), and why you like it.

5. The real church can be difficult to identify. The Bible tells us how we can find it with certain distinguishing features we call the marks of the church. Christians generally agree that there are things that identify a real group of believers. I offer a few options below for what people call the marks of the church. Which do you find the most helpful?

• “where the gospel is proclaimed, where the sacraments are administered, there we are assured we will find believers” (Lange, God So Loved, pg 540)

• “Those four adjectives - one, holy, catholic, and apostolic - have traditionally been known as the marks of the church by which you can know that you have the true church.” (Bird, What Christians Ought to Believe, pg 197)

• “faithful preaching of the Word, faithful administration of the sacraments, and faithful exercise of discipline” (Godfrey The Marks of the Church by W. Robert Godfrey (ligonier.org))

6. One of the most difficult teachings in the Bible to both understand and apply in the 21st century is the teaching on fellowship. Paul stated the negative aspect when he said, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” (Romans 16:17) Based on Paul’s words, what is the teaching of fellowship? Have you experienced it done well?

Bible study

Read the following introductory paragraph, then read Ephesians 2:11-22

“In the first century, Gentiles were only allowed to enter the outer parts of the Jerusalem temple. A five-foot-high wall separated the outer court known as the court of the Gentiles from the inner sanctuary. Tablets hanging on pillars warned in both Greek and Latin that no Gentile could enter in the inner courts (see Josephus, Jewish Wars 6.2.4). One such inscription declares, “No foreigner is to enter within the forecourt and the balustrade around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his subsequent death”. These laws directly influenced Paul. The Jews who arrested Paul in Jerusalem falsely accused him of defiling the temple by bringing Gentiles into it (Acts 21:27–29). While the physical wall remained in place in the temple until it was destroyed in ad 70, Christ’s sacrifice removed all barriers between Gentiles and God (see Eph 2:11–13). (Derek Brown,

Please read Ephesians 2:11-22.

7. In verse 11 and 12, Paul referred to the uncircumcised and the circumcision. He is referring to the physical separation between Jews and Gentiles. In your own words, describe the division between Jews and Gentiles. It is this division that Jesus has overcome and “made the two groups one”.

8. In verse 15, Paul said Jesus set aside the law with its command and regulations. We might think that is the end of the matter, but in verse 16 he reconciled both of them to God. This is what God calls the communion of saints. There is a communion that exists horizontally among Christians who live upon the earth and vertically with the departed members who are alive with Christ in heaven. Which aspect - the horizontal or the vertical - means more to you at this point?

Application

9. I have heard there are 59 “one another” Bible passages. The Bible intends us to act in certain ways toward other people - not just within our own bodies. In other words Christianity is more interpersonal than personal. Scripture is full of practices to build up the people of God. Read through the list, then complete the question.

Practice 1: affirming one another’s strengths, abilities and gifts

• Romans 12:10 “Honor one another”

• James 5:9 “Don’t grumble against each other”

• Romans 12:3-8 “Confirm the gifts of one another”

Practice 2: affirming one another’s equal importance in Christ

• Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you”

• 1 Corinthians 12:25 “Have equal concern for each other”

• 1 Peter 5:5 “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another”

• James 2:1 “Don’t show favoritism”

Practice 3: affirming one another through concern and affection

• Romans 16:16 “Greet one another with a holy kiss”

• James 1:19 “Be quick to listen, slow to speak”

• Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another”

• 1 Thessalonians 3:12 “your love increase and overflow for each other”

Practice 4: sharing one another’s space, goods, and time

• Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love”

• 1 Peter 4:9 “Offer hospitality to one another”

• Galatians 6;10 “As we have opportunity let us do good”

Practice 5: sharing one another’s needs and problems

• Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens”

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Encourage one another”

• Hebrews 3:13 “Encourage one another daily”

Practice 6: sharing one another’s beliefs, thinking and spirituality

• Colossians 3:16 “Teach and admonish one another”

• Ephesians 5:19 “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”

• Romans 12:16 “Live in harmony with one another”

• 1 Corinthians 1:10 “Agree with one another”

Practice 7: serving one another through accountability

• James 5:16 “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other”

• Romans 15:14 “Instruct one another”

• Ephesians 4:25 “Speak truthfully”

Practice 8: serving one another through forgiveness and reconciliation

• Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love”

• Colossians 3:13 “Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another”

• Galatians 5:26 “Don’t provoke or envy one another”

• James 4:11 “Do not slander one another”

• Matthew 5:23-24, 18:15 Reestablish broken relationships with one another

I’m sure that someone could come up with a longer list of practices drawn from the Scripture or disagree with a few of them. In general, this is a good list. Which of these are you the best at? Which could you do better at? Which would you say our congregation is the best at? Which could we do better at? Any suggestions to help us?

The Conversation Lesson 6 - Salvation

Introduction

I’ve found that I’ve experienced something of a conversion experience every 5 years or less. I remember making a public profession of faith in Jesus about age 14. Around 18, I went through a series of events that convinced me life was worth living and the gospel was the driving force of that life. Around 22 I seriously questioned the existence of God, denied him for a time, and gained a conviction regarding the existence of God. Around 25 I worked through the Lord’s Supper. Around 28 I dealt with the historical nature of Jesus Christ. Around 33 I addressed my sense of acceptance and approval or disapproval.

This is what we want to talk about tonight - God’s multifaceted work of salvation and my receiving of it.

Getting connected

1. What conversations has God let you have lately with someone who might be on their way to knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord (remember, this might be only the very first steps)?

2. Where did you see one of the Christian truths we’ve learned show up in your life?

3. Last week we studied Jesus. We confess Jesus as Savior and Lord, which is quite different from the modern, secular creed. Is Jesus still relevant with the secular creed so widely accepted? If so, how?

Teaching

The Bible offers (What Christians Ought to Believe, Lesson 16, 1:00 - 12:00)

4. Bird points out that in biblical language, we are saved three times. What are they?

• saved =

• saved =

• saved =

Let’s briefly discuss the implications of God saving us not at one point in time, but three points in time. What might be some take aways or some ideas that surprise us if God has saved us at three points in time?

5. “Salvation is more than the rescue of the sinner’s soul… Salvation is _____________ and includes the whole person, _________, _________, _________, and _________.” I can’t help but think this is really good news. Do you think it is? If so, how?

6. When God makes our salvation happen, he accomplishes all kinds of different things all at the same time. Below is a list of passages with different aspects of salvation. There is also a list of the different things he does to save us.

First match the passage with the action God takes.

Then, explain one of the actions in your own words.

Passages

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7)

In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship  through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will (Ephesians 1:4-5)

and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24)

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Actions

justification

reconciliation

atonement

forgiveness of sins

election

redemption

Bible study

Read the following introductory paragraph, then read John 17:3-26

“Jesus gives us a beautiful summary of what faith is in his High Priestly Prayer in John 17. He shows us in that prayer that faith consists of three basic elements; without them there is no such thing as faith in the biblical sense of the term.” (Daniel Deutschlander, Grace Abounds, pg 380)

Please read John 17:3-36. The section is also summarized below. Pay careful attention to the italic sections as you answer the questions.

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one … Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

7. According to Jesus in his prayer, what are the parts of faith? How does Jesus describe faith?

8. As you hear Jesus, what is the easiest part of faith? What is the hardest part of faith?

9. Do you have the same feeling? That is, what is the easiest and hardest parts of faith for you?

10. Jesus doesn’t just explain what faith is. He actually prays for us to have faith. How does noticing this about Jesus not only change our perspective of him, but also change our faith & doubt with him?

Application

11. On the day of Pentecost, the people heard that Jesus has ascended as both Lord and Messiah. “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” A few years later, the jailer in Philippi asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.””

The Bible tells us that doubt is both part of Christian faith and that we shouldn’t doubt. What tells you you believe in Jesus? And how well is your faith?