She chuckles in response: “Promises, promises.” Her ears have taken in her husband’s words before as he sits in comfort, watching the game. “I’ll get to it later,” but later never comes. Oh, he’s sincere: he does plan to take out the garbage. But something comes along and the intent to do so is gone, […]
Romans, Lesson 2: Set Apart for the Gospel
August 6, 2016 by
The Opening Salvo As was the custom of letters in his day, Paul first identifies himself as the author. Next, the author would identify the recipient(s) and then greet them. 1 Maccabees 10:25: “King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews: Greetings.” Acts 15:23: “From the apostles and the elders, your brothers, to the brothers […]
Ecclesiastes: Meaning in a Meaningless World
July 31, 2016 by
Mist rises from the ground, disappearing in the heat and is gone. A vapor and nothing more. The mother of all the living, Eve, held her newborn son, the second child ever born of a woman. Even so, the paradise God created became an evaporating mist, awaiting its recreation on the Last Day. Eve gazed […]
Romans, Lesson 1: Introduction
July 30, 2016 by
Author Paul, through a scribe he used, named Tertius: [From] Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus… (Romans 1:1) I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord (Romans 16:22). Paul normally used a scribe, like Tertius. The cost of producing a letter of exceptional length, like Romans, was expensive. A scribe could […]
How We Got the New Testament
July 27, 2016 by
This is part two on the lesson in adult catechesis on how we got the Bible. Click here if you want to go to the Old-Testament Lesson. The Early Church We looked at how we got the Old Testament. The Church met in council to state which books were Scripture because three traditions had […]
Psalm 138: Gratitude
July 24, 2016 by
When you thank people in your life, you are helping yourself as much as you are helping others. Now, you might find it humbling to thank other people—but taking the time to do so creates goodwill, a favorable environment, and even fosters friendship. Researchers discovered the best habit to help nurture happiness in life is […]
Our Life with God, Lesson 17: Evangelism, Part 5 and Conclusion
July 23, 2016 by
We’ve looked at both the “yes” and the “no” of evangelism, removing misconceptions but also having Scripture point us anew when it comes to confessing Christ to others. In this lesson, we will finish with the “yes” of evangelism, of bringing the evangel, the Word of Jesus to another. You Can’t Fail Pr. Heath […]
Genesis 18:1-14: Having the Last Laugh
July 17, 2016 by
Sarah is an old woman, almost 90 years old. Her hair is a tired gray, lacking in luster. Her skin is leathery from years of desert sun. Many memories of joy fill her, but she still aches inside, empty and hollow, the promise of what could be, which never came. Her husband is a good […]
Our Life with God, Lesson 16: Evangelism, Part 4
July 16, 2016 by
Evangelism is bringing Jesus and what He did and does to save us to another. Someone never outgrows his need for the evangel, for salvation is more than a one-time event. The Christian speaks Jesus to another because of who he is in Christ. It is also what each Christian does to help gather God’s […]
How We Got the Old Testament
July 12, 2016 by
This lesson is part of adult catechesis after studying the Small Catechism. It in, we look at how we received what we call the Old Testament. Warning: This may be upsetting, for Church history does not affirm the content of the Old Testament that most read today. —————- As a frame of reference, we start […]
