Mark 1:12-13 The Temptation of The Christ
Mark gives a very brief account of the temptation of the Christ. We will suggest some reasons why, and then we will look at the account given by Matthew.
Introduction to Amos
We will consider the background and context of the Minor Prophet Amos. We will also compare his culture with ours and try to make connections between the two Amos is a political book, thus any comparison will necessarily be, in part, political.
Ephesians 4:25-32 The “Let Not’s” and the “Get Rid Of’s”
Being a disciple of Jesus means reforming our habits in order to reform our character. In this section Paul describes several traits we are to ‘let not’ be our calling card, and other traits we are to ‘get rid of’ altogether. Then he lists what we are to replace them with.
Mark 1:8-11 The Baptism of Jesus the Christ
This account of the baptism of Christ, combined with the account in the gospel of Matthew, tells us of the conflict with the leading political and religious leaders. We also have clear indications of the Triune God, and the reason Jesus was baptized.
Ephesians 4:17-24 Don’t Live Like Them
Paul has established the essential doctrine of “The Faith”; he has discussed the unity of the church and that there is one God. Now he proceeds to teach us the difference between who we were and who we should be in our behavior.
2 Peter 3:10-13 Life In The Apocalypse
The End Is Near! If the apocalypse is near, How Should We Then Live? (An excellent book by Francis A Schaeffer). This is an appropriate question whether we are in the apocalypse or not.
2 Peter 3:8-10 The Time, Timing, and Purpose of God
This is great passage of Scripture to challenge one’s opinion of just “Who is God?”. As we dig into the text we see that a contextual study might just challenge some prevailing views about the Purpose and Person of God.
Ephesians 4:4-7 All For One, And One For All
The makeup of the Church, the Body of Christ is such that we all are one. There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all.
2 Peter 3:4-8 Things Are Not As They Seem
God works in His own time, and He owns time. We have very limited knowledge of His options and purpose, thus we should not presume to doubt His statements.
Ephesians 4:1-3 Worthy of The Calling
Now that Paul has established a doctrinal foundation for the Church, he begins the practical exhortation. “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” This turns out to be the hard part — living to please God.
