Bible Studies, Inspired by Faith and Science

We left Jesus preaching at the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles last week. This week's study continues from there, with the authorities beginning to get annoyed, as one might expect. (After all, how annoyed do we get when someone appears to contradict authority in our churches?) (54) Streams of Living Water The Feast of Tabernacles is a 7-day event in September/October at the end of the grape harvest. According to John’s Gospel, Jesus reaches Jerusalem in the second half of the feast ( John 7:2,14 ), and starts teaching, apparently unopposed ( John 7:26 ). But the authorities won’t let this go one forever. Read John 7:32-36 1.        Read John 7:32-34. Do you think the officers captured Jesus, or did they just threaten him? Read John 7:45 So who is Jesus’ audience at this point? 2.        The authorities found Jesus again at Passover. When did they seek him and not find him? 3.     ...

It seems like a good time of year for our Coffee Break group to be reading about the Feast of Tabernacles. I wonder if it will take us till spring to get to the Easter part of the tale? Anyway, it's fall in the Bible story, and Jesus' "time" has not yet come... again. So here's another study for the third year of ministry. (53) The Hour That Hasn’t Yet Come After Jesus’ “whoever is not against you is for you” remark, Luke’s Gospel goes on to describe Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, where many will stand against him. Meanwhile John describes a sequence of visits in the final year, following the pattern of Jewish feasts and pilgrimage. Read Luke 9:51 , John 7:1. 1.        Who wanted to kill Jesus at this point, and why? 2.        Are there people today who want to kill faith in Jesus? Are they easily recognized, or might they be just as “faithful” as those enemies in Jesus’ day? 3.        Re...

It's September. The schools have restarted, and our Coffee Break group is restarting its weekly Bible Studies. We've been looking at a chronological account of Jesus' life through the Gospels, and now we're entering the final year - it seems appropriate that the whole study will have taken us 3 years when we finish. So here's our first "welcome" study - a little shorter, so we'll have time to catch up on news from the summer. We hope you'll join us. (52) Welcome Jesus is in the final year of his ministry, approaching his final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. He is going to die for us, for sinners, for people who get it wrong… for the people who will kill him. And now, two thousand years later, our separate churches and denominations are sure we have it right. We can recognize cults. We can reject false beliefs. We can reject false believers…? Or should we welcome them instead? The disciples are about to show how we can be tempted t...

It's our final Coffee Break of the season, so what will you do with your "summer break." I know what we'll be doing after the break - continuing with the final six months of Jesus' life, from Tabernacles to Passover; and I'm very much looking forward to it. During the break I hope to finish my 13th Five-Minute Bible-Story book - John's Joy. It's growing nicely now, and I'm looking forward to its release with IFS books. But back to this week's study. It starts with a "small" miracle - a fish for the Temple tax - and ends with cooking and maiming - quite a leap. But perhaps we all have to pay some kind of taxes... And a new kingdom is coming... (51) No Taxation without …? Jesus is bringing in the kingdom, and it’s not at all the kingdom the disciples expect. The time is just a little before the Feast of Tabernacles (final harvest), and by Passover (first fruits) Jesus will be risen from the dead. This lends an urgency to Jesus...

Last week's Transfiguration told the disciples something of who Jesus is. But who does that make them? And who are we? I kind of like the next passage where Jesus' followers find out they're not who they wish they were... (50) So, who are we/they? Peter has declared that Jesus is the Messiah. The Transfiguration has confirmed that declaration. But Jesus, Messiah, great hope of the nation, still insists on saying he’s going to die, which had to be confusing. And then there’s the question of who or what his disciples will be. Do followers of a Messiah become powerful by association? Do we think we are wiser, better able to support (compared, say, with “sending good thoughts”)…   just because we know Jesus? Read Matthew 17:14-16, Mark 9:14-18, Luke 9:37-40 1.        How might the disciples have felt at their inability to help? How do we feel when public prayers for someone else don’t seem to be answered? Does that mean we should only pray priv...

Easter, resurrection, ascension coming soon ... okay, maybe our coffee break study's back on track with the season, as a select group of disciples get to "see" who Jesus is, having just answered who they think he is. We've ended up with a study that will take us all over the Bible from beginning to end, but perhaps that's the point ... the story of who He really is. (49) Now, who will they say that he is? Jesus has just asked the disciples who people think he is. When Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah, Jesus promptly predicts his death, and the sufferings in store for his followers too. But now, perhaps in answer to their confusion, God reveals his answer to the question of who Jesus is. Read Matthew 17:1-2, Mark 9:2-3, Luke 9:28-29 1.        What’s the difference between 8 days and 6 days? Read Exodus 24:16 2.        What’s special about Jesus’ face shining? Read Exodus 34:29 3.    ...

The timing's a little off isn't it? We've just celebrated Easter, but in our Coffee Break group we're just approaching the Passion. But maybe that's good timing, because Easter isn't just one day a year--Easter is the resurrection life we're supposed to celebrate every day. And the Passion...? This week we read about Peter, just declared (last week) to be the rock on which the church would stand, now proving to be the stumbling block placing himself in Jesus' path. I wonder how often we are that stumbling block... (48) Get Behind Me, Satan… and take up your cross? Peter has confessed what the disciples are all beginning to accept, that Jesus is the Christ. But then, read Matthew 16:20, Mark 8:30, Luke 9:21 Jesus tells him to tell no one. 1.        With the crowds all making their guesses, why doesn’t Jesus want the disciples to speak? Reading on, he seems to tie tell no one to his coming death; can you think how publicizing Peter’s answer might h...