Introduction to the Augsburg Confession When Luther finally realized that a person is made right before God because of Jesus Christ, he came to see more clearly how the Roman-Catholic Church had veered away from the historic, Christian faith. Rome’s teachings on repentance and the forgiveness of sins, especially as tied to indulgences, led Luther […]
Understanding New-Covenant Worship as the Fulfillment of the Old
March 22, 2014 by
Worship before God gave Moses instructions on worship From the dawn of time, proper worship of God involved resting from work on the Sabbath day to hear God’s Word (Genesis 2:3). At first, that Word was proclaimed by word of mouth with no written Scriptures: Adam to Seth, Seth to Enosh, Enosh to Kenan, and […]
Exodus, Lesson 32: Construction of the Tabernacle: The Final Lesson
March 15, 2014 by
Moses had again given the Ten Words to the Israelites after He returned from Mt. Sinai a second time. This time his face was shining. So, he covered His face when we dealt with the people as Moses but uncovered His face when he was delivering to them God’s Word. We now enter the last […]
Exodus, Lesson 31: Another 40-Day Wait and the Covenant is Renewed
March 8, 2014 by
After Moses came down from the Mt. Sinai, he broke the tablet with the Ten Words of God on them. But later, Moses asked God to look with mercy on the Israelites. And so, Moses went back up Mt. Sinai where God would tell him to write down His Words on the two tablets of […]
Exodus, Lesson 30: God and Moses “Negotiate”
March 8, 2014 by
The Israelites had tried to worship Yahweh using the worship forms they were comfortable with because of their time in Egypt. God called such worship “play” (Exodus 32:6) and a “great sin” (Exodus 32:30-31). Yet, Moses implored to God on behalf of the people. And God responded that He would, based on His earlier promises, […]
Understanding Jesus’ Atonement: Objectively and Subjectively
February 22, 2014 by
Instructing adults in the Faith, we are now in question-and-answer period, going over specifics questions that some being instructed have. In this lesson, we look at Jesus’ work to save us objectively (what He did irrespective of the faith one may have) and subjectively (whether one believes what Jesus objectively did for our salvation). […]
Philippians, Lesson 6: Final Exhortations
February 14, 2014 by
Paul just finished saying that he wasn’t perfect (that is reached the fullness of salvation that takes place on the Last Day). But Paul also recognized that from an eternal perspective Christians are perfect, bringing out the “now” and “not yet” of our life in Christ. Paul now exhorts the Philippian Christians to imitate him. […]
Exodus, Lesson 29: The Golden Calf
February 14, 2014 by
Moses has just finished receiving his instructions from God on how He was to be worshiped. Yet, while Moses was receiving God’s instructions for 40 days (Exodus 24:18), the people at the foot the mountain began to do things their own way, not knowing what had happened to Moses. The Golden Calf Read Exodus 32:1-6 […]
Exodus, Lesson 28: Proper Worship Contrasted with Improper Worship
February 9, 2014 by
God had just told Moses about the bronze basin, from which the Priests would purify themselves before entering God’s presence. If they were not so purified, they would die. Last week, we learned that the water in the bronze basin was a (but not the only) foreshadowing of New-Covenant baptism. Now God tells Moses about […]
Philippians, Lesson 5: Living in the Gospel
February 5, 2014 by
With Paul having finished discussing his desired plans for Timothy and Epaphroditus, he now tells the Philippian Christians to rejoice. He does not want to let those who would try to place them under the yoke of the Law to have their way. Warnings against Judaizers Read Philippians 3:1-2 – What does Paul first say […]
