Faith
Be a Good Neighbor
I. Introduction Sometimes it’s difficult to teach a familiar parable; we have pre-conceived notions, or perhaps previous bible studies left in our heads. The Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep, the Faithful Servant, the Ten Virgins, and so on. Even non-Christians have heard the phrase “good Samaritan.” Let’s see if we can look at this parable [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 5 so far )Compass Trip to Israel
I just returned from a trip to Israel, and I’m waiting right now for that next-day 3:00pm jet lag feeling to hit. Just a few more minutes, I think. I took 1300 pictures; I plan on posting a few of them in the next couple of weeks with my thoughts. But before I do that, [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Dreams
Last year I traveled more than usual. I mean, I traveled a lot. I paid Italian income taxes, and the Customs agents at Schipol Airport know me by name. And when I started traveling, I stepped down from teaching bible study at my church. They have this weird rule that if you’re not there, you’re [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )God Satisfies
It’s a rainy Monday, Labor Day afternoon. I’m reading, surfing, playing, working, whatever I feel like. If only every day could be like this – spend a couple of hours working, then when you feel like it, see what’s going on in the Texans kicking team, checking movie schedules, writing a snooty email to a [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 3 so far )What We Offer to the Lord
I. Introduction I’ve always joked that if I was ever asked to teach a lesson from the book of Leviticus, I would focus on the evils of shellfish. I’m allergic to shellfish – did any of you ever see the movie “Hitch” with Will Smith? And after another one of his disastrous dates where he [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Amazing Deliverance
I. Introduction Who in this class has a collection? Dolls, thimbles, something else? I used to collect pennies when I was a young teen. I’d go through my grandfather’s big jar of coins looking for specific pennies I didn’t have. The oldest penny I had was from 1916, if I recall correctly. Once, based on [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 21 so far )Compassionate Action
I. Introduction It’s difficult to see God at work sometimes, isn’t it? Unanswered prayers, world hunger, wars. Our own lives, sickness, injuries. Let’s start off today with a list of problems. Things that we believe God should solve, should do differently. Some big “why” questions. I’ll start off with a couple. What’s up with that [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 8 so far )Praying About Difficult Decisions
I. Introduction From time to time, we all come to a big decision in our lives. I’ve lost my job; what should I do now? I have a medical issue; how should I treat it? Is this person right for me? Should I compromise, or should I stand my ground? We are faced with decisions [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 5 so far )How to Develop Your Faith
I. Introduction Forgive me ahead of time; it was difficult to focus this week on preparing a lesson. We had plumbing leak #4 this past Sunday and our study was damaged by the leaking pipes. We were already working on a solution to replace the ancient galvanized piping with the newer PEX tubing which was [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Blessings for Those Who Fear the Lord
I. Introduction I want you to think back, remember yourself at a young age. Who or what did you want to be when you grew up? What qualities of that person or job did you like that attracted you? Do you still sometimes think of what it would be like to be that person? Our [...]
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