Living with Adversity: Celebrating the Good News (Chris)

Trust in God can produce peace, hope, and opportunity even in difficult times.  Adversity is faced over and over again in the Bible.  Moreover, we have one great advantage that most of our ancestors in faith did not: we know how the story ends.  Thanks to the Christ's New Covenant, good triumphs.  As Christmas approaches, we can be confident that God's light ultimately overcomes all darkness -- Good News indeed!

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Living with Adversity: From Self-Reliance to Trusting God (Randy)

In this lesson, we look at the book of Jonah and explore how our over reliance on ourselves gets us into trouble and how turning to God – and trusting God – especially during this Advent season, is the solution to our problem. I hope you will join us in virtual fellowship as we explore this topic.

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Living in Opposition to Discrimination (Chris)

While the world is tribal, God is universal.  Jesus taught us to commune with all people.  An inspiring story of a black girl and a white teacher from the Civil Rights Movement shows us how Discipleship is expressed in real life with compassion and courage.

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Living with Rejection: Working Toward Social Justice (Randy)

We are living in a tumultuous time.  Our economic, social, and political orders are all evolving and shifting.  Our city streets are filled with protests and counter-protests.  Social media is awash with strong opinions.  People around us are taking sides on all kinds of issues.  Friends have distanced themselves from us because of things we have said or done.  Perhaps you have ventured into this melee, or perhaps you have held back for fear of being “canceled.”

How do we navigate these tricky times as Christians?  How do we think about social justice from a Christian perspective?  How do we deal with the rejection that will surely come simply because we take a Christian view?  Using the examples of Jeremiah, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Wesley, and Jesus, we will examine how we can participate in bringing God’s just kingdom to earth while facing the opposition that it will bring.

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Living with Injustice (Chris)

There is a divine order and fairness which the world often falls short of.  We both can experience injustice and can be a cause of it.  Using the Old Testament story of Joseph, we will look at Godly responses to injustice including faith, integrity, and love.  We also recognize that the ultimate injustice was Christ dying on the cross.  Thankfully, God is able to use injustice to produce blessings. 

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Living With Political Divisions as Christian Disciples (Chris)

How are Christians to behave in a world with rampant division and discord?  We know that even sincere believers disagree.  How should we engage productively in politics?  This week, we will examine how Truth and Power interact in the Bible.  We also will explore teachings from Christ and the Apostle Paul that suggest a universal and positive way of being Christian political disciples.

At an even more divided time in U.S. history, President Lincoln famously implored his countrymen and women to pursue "the better angels of our nature."  We can heed his advice by becoming A.N.G.E.L.S. ourselves -- active, humble, compassionate citizens who:  Acknowledge  Neighbors,  Generously  Engage, and  Love  Selflessly.

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Living with Anxiety: Finding Peace in God's Voice (Randy)

The pandemic, social unrest, and political uncertainty have caused high levels of depression and anxiety.  People are struggling with fear, isolation, lack of motivation, and so much more.  They are worried about the election and what it all means for the country.  How can we quell the storms?  How do we achieve peace?  Through the story of Elijah, we recognize how we got ourselves into this situation and remember how God leads us out of it.

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Living with Adversity: Overcoming Fear (Chris)

Fear is natural and normal.  However, an epidemic of fear and anxiety has produced chronic mental and physical challenges in modern life.  Fear and responses to it appear throughout the Bible.  Perhaps the most prominent and useful example is that of the Apostle Peter.  How did Peter overcome debilitating fear to become "The Rock" on which Christianity was built, and what can we learn from his example? 

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Living with Isolation: Surrounding Ourselves with Christian Friends and Resting in Our Redeemer (Randy)

 As we continue our series on Living with Adversity, we will look at the challenge of being socially isolated in a lesson called, Living with Isolation: Christian Fellowship and God’s Redemption.  Through the story of Ruth and Naomi, we’ll examine how we can rely on one another and our faith to weather the pandemic.  We hope you will join us!

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Living with Senseless Suffering: Trusting God (Chris)

In the second installment of "Living with Adversity as Christian Disciples," we further explore the uniquely Judeo-Christian perspective on suffering.  Reflecting on the Biblical Book of Job and the real-world grief and horror of 9/11, we see that darkness and difficulty are opportunities to trust the Lord.  Doing so opens the door to God's blessings including peace, joy, hope, and salvation.

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Living with Adversity Introduction: Why Does God Allow Suffering? (Randy)

The pandemic coupled with recent social unrest has created enormous stress in our daily lives. Polls taken by the American Psychological Association suggest stress levels among American adults are in the 70% range due to fear of catching the virus, economic or work concerns, kids at home and the accompanying education challenges, the government’s response to the pandemic, and more.  Our own class poll suggests we share these concerns with worries over the political climate, stress from our jobs, and fear of catching the virus topping the list.  All of this has created a degree of anxiety and depression in our society – and among our classmates – unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes.  Why has God allowed this pandemic to happen?  What possible good can come from it?  How are we supposed to live with the adversity it has created? How can we find meaning and hope in it through our faith in Jesus?  We contemplate these questions in this series with the goal of providing the class with faith-based resources to transform adversity into a more intimate walk with God.  

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The Book of Romans: Conclusion (Chris)

We conclude our study of Romans today!  

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The Book of Romans: Unity (Randy)

Paul concludes his letter to the Romans by calling for unity.  He reminds us that faith sets us free from legalism (the law of sin and death), but love requires us to limit our actions so that we may bear others’ weakness and build them up.  Following Christ and living this way brings unity and harmony to the community.

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The Book of Romans: Our Relationship to the Weak (Randy)

Paul wants us to understand how to relate to one another, including to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Because we mature in the faith at different rates, we each have our own convictions about what we can and cannot do in the faith, but that can lead to divisions.  In Romans 14, Paul warns us not to judge one another and not to do things that would cause others to stumble.  He reminds us that, in the end, the Kingdom of God is about righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and we therefore should see to do what leads to peace and mutual edification.  We must act out of faith rather than freedom to ensure we live up to this ideal.

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The Book of Romans: Our Relationship to Authorities (Chris)

We focus on Romans 13:1-7 in this lesson, which is about submitting to rulers and worldly powers.  America is the "land of the free," and we are raised as individualists compared to most other cultures in the world. The Apostle Paul has an important lesson for us about order, humility, balance, freedom, and faith.  During coronavirus and quarantine, this message is particularly timely.

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The Book of Romans: Living as Christian Disciples (Chris)

In Chapter 12 of Romans, the Apostle Paul focuses our attention on three critical relationships in our lives as Disciples: God, our neighbors, and our enemies.  Building on the last two weeks, we first will revisit ways in which we best can honor God and serve others.  Recognizing our current state of siege from COVID-19, we also will consider our Christian response to the challenges (enemies) and opportunities (neighbors) around us.

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The Book of Romans: Our Relationship to Others (Randy)

Paul’s carefully constructed argument in the Book of Romans culminates with the grateful recognition that God has sacrificed his Son for us so we may have abundant and eternal life, and our only logical response is to make ourselves living sacrifices for God. But how? Paul explains we do it through agape-love, and gives us a 12-point definition for what that entails.

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The Book of Romans: Our Relationship to God and Church (Randy)

Up until now, Paul has carefully laid out his theological argument: 1) We are all under God’s wrath, 2) we are saved by God’s grace, and 3) by faith, we can live in confidence and peace before God thanks to his saving grace.  Now, starting in Romans 12, Paul turns to Christian Living and how we should respond to God’s saving action.  He begins by urging us to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices which means to obey God in everything.  Then, he tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds to become increasingly like Christ. Finally, he reminds us that we are no longer our own, independent agents, but rather all part of the Body of Christ with a role to play.

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The Book of Romans: Plan of God (Chris)

Paul explains the relationship between the nation of Israel and Gentile followers of Christ like us.  He shows how no one can take for granted God’s love and mercy and Grace.  He also celebrates that all can share in the Good News of faith in Jesus.  “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”  [Romans 11:33]

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The Book of Romans: Life in the Spirit (Randy)

After acknowledging that we will struggle with sin the rest of our lives while simultaneously reminding us that Jesus Christ has saved us, Paul opens Chapter 8 with the glorious statement that there’s no condemnation. Nobody can accuse us of anything that would cause God to stop loving us.  Paul goes on to explain that God’s Spirit dwells within us, making us his children and heirs to the ultimate promise – eternal life.  God wants us to be in his family for all eternity!  Because of that, we can live with power and assurance of knowing that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

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The Book of Romans: Law and Love (Chris)

This week's lesson -- "Law and Love" -- continues from where we left off last week.  Romans chapter 7 is about Christians and "the law."  How are we to understand this spiritual inheritance from our Jewish ancestors in faith?  Moreover, how can we learn from Jews, from Paul, and from Jesus about discipleship and sharing God's love with the world?  A story of hospitality, kindness, and grace from Chris's youth will help to illustrate. 

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The Book of Romans: The Nature of Faith - Do We Go on Sinning (Randy)

We are saved by faith and not by works, and yet does that mean we can do whatever we want?  Do we go on sinning?  “By no means!” says Paul in Romans 6.  Yet we continue to struggle with sin every day.  How do we make sense of this, and what does it mean for how we can live a life worthy of the gospel?

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The Book of Romans: The Nature of Faith (Part 1) - Righteousness and Justification (Chris)

This lesson further explores the mysteries of our salvation.  Why and how are we "justified" -- made righteous in God's eyes -- in spite of sin?  The Good News is that God's grace expressed in Jesus Christ satisfies justice in love.  The result is "peace," the ability to be connected to God no matter what happens in our lives.

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The Book of Romans: Grace and Righteousness (Chris)

Grace means receiving what we do not deserve.  One emphasis of Paul's Letter to the Romans is that we are saved by faith alone.  Jesus Christ died for our sins once and for all time.  Once we accept this gift of grace from God, our lives forever change for the better.

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The Book of Romans: The Righteousness and Wrath of God (Randy)

Paul’s letter to the Romans is one of the most important documents ever written. In it, he describes the “Gospel of God” – the good news promised from the beginning of time. In this lesson, we look at the powerful first three chapters where he describes life-transforming righteousness of God that saves us from his terrible but judicial wrath.  We all need the gospel.  We all need Jesus. 

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The Book of Romans: Gospel and Faith (Chris)

The Apostle Paul is one of the most important people who ever lived.  He took the teachings and message of Jesus Christ from the backwaters of the Roman Empire and catalyzed a movement that swept the world.  We would not have the Bible or the church without Paul.

Moreover, Paul is our great interpreter.  Jesus's teachings in the Gospels are powerful and deep.  Paul's letters explain them to us and help us to understand the amazing truth of our Salvation in Christ and how we should live in response. 

The masterpiece of Paul's revelation is the Book of Romans.  Meant to comprehensively explain the purpose and meaning of Jesus Christ to other new believers, it is a powerful source of understanding for us as well.  We are excited to explore Romans with you this spring. 

In this lesson, we introduce the Book of Romans by delving into life in the Age of Christ and the amazing story of Saul of Tarsus whom Christ redeemed and transformed for us as Paul.

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