Relevant Passages John 6 The Sacred in the Common. John 6 links together three events in the life of Jesus: the feeding of he 5000, walking on water, and his “bread of life” sermon at...
The Last Five Kings of Judah
October 10, 2015
Relevant Passages John 5 Putting the Past Behind You. Today’s lesson takes us to the story of the man whom Jesus healed at the Pool of Bethesda, a man who had been sick for 38...
Relevant Passages John 4:43-54 The Struggle to Be Real. The “living parable” which is the focus of today’s lesson involves Jesus’ return “home” to Galilee and an encounter with a royal official whose boy was...
Relevant Passages John 2:23-4:42 Grace Is All-Inclusive. The two major incidents studied in last week’s lesson contrasted Jesus’ leisurely experience at a Jewish wedding with the intensity of his anger in cleansing the temple. This...
Relevant Passages John 2:1-22 Something Better. After the highly abstract prologue, John continues his Gospel with two down-to-earth stories in chapter 2 Jesus’ week-long stay at a wedding and his cleansing of the temple. Both...
Relevant Passages John 1:1-18 Jesus Is the Best. The Gospel of John opens with a magnificent cluster of verses establishing both Jesus’ full divinity and his full humanity. In addition, Jesus is compared with two...
Relevant Biblical Passages Luke 1:1-4; John 15:1-8; 17:20; 20:24-31; 21:20-25 The Unique Purpose of John’s Gospel. Our studies for this quarter take us to the fourth Gospel, often called the “beloved” Gospel because the author...
Background Considerations What are the components of a life lived well which would exhibit 1) faith in God and 2) faithfulness to others around us? Both areas of Christian responsibility rest at the heart of...
Background Considerations The basic idea of service in the Bible: to God – expressed in a life of obedience and in worship, but always based on God’s initiative and empowerment within the context of a...
Background Considerations The biblical language of the heart and what it produces (a good Bible dictionary would be useful just now): “Heart” in the Old Testament “Heart” in the New Testament Biblical expressions about how...
Background Considerations What motivations might lead someone to forgive another person – Love to God? Love for the person? Fear of the consequences of not forgiving? Getting rid of guilt about it? Surviving relationships? Under...
Background Considerations definitions: “numinous unease” – an anthropological term describing attitudes toward a god or God which, while happy with God’s best plans for the people, recognizes still that God is GOD and not a...
Background Considerations The idea of Covenant – Political treaties from the ancient Near East between unequal parties which typically consisted of: a note of the sovereign’s benefit to the vassal; stipulations for maintaining a good...
Background Considerations Definitions (a good Bible dictionary would be useful here) love (divine) – what words, phrases, metaphors, stories in the Bible illustrate God’s love for people? love (human toward God) – in what ways...
Setbacks
June 6, 2026
Repentance and Forgiveness
May 30, 2026
Sin, the Gospel, and the Law
May 23, 2026