As always, you're invited to join us for our midweek Bible study. This week we're in the third chapter of First Peter.
Here are three questions (out of a list of 11) that we hope to consider in our study. Drop by tomorrow evening (Wednesday July 1st) at seven o'clock to participate in our discussion of these and the other 8 questions.
1) How should Christian brethren treat one another? (See I Peter 3:8-12.)
2) How can we, as Christians, apply I Peter 3:15 in our lives?
3) How can we promote and maintain unity in the Lord's Church?
Tuesday
Thursday
5 Questions on I Peter 2
Two weeks ago, we posted a list of three questions on I Peter 1. We did begin our study of the second chapter of First Peter. Take a gander at 5 of the questions we addressed in our study of I Peter 2 last week.
1) What must Christians desire in order to grow, and why? (See I Peter 2:2-3)
2) How should we conduct ourselves around authority figures? (I Peter 2:13-17)
3) How should our conversations be honest according to verse 12? (Also, see Hebrews 13:5)
4) Peter (verse 5) and Paul (Romans 12:1) remind us that we are "as lively stones" and are "to offer up spiritual sacrifice." How do we as Christians offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ?
5) Whose perfect steps should we follow? (See I Peter 2:21-22)
Oops. We almost forgot to post the memory verse.
Here's I Peter 2:9, both the NKJV and the CEV versions:
New King James Version:
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..."
Contemporary English Version:
"But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done..."
1) What must Christians desire in order to grow, and why? (See I Peter 2:2-3)
2) How should we conduct ourselves around authority figures? (I Peter 2:13-17)
3) How should our conversations be honest according to verse 12? (Also, see Hebrews 13:5)
4) Peter (verse 5) and Paul (Romans 12:1) remind us that we are "as lively stones" and are "to offer up spiritual sacrifice." How do we as Christians offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ?
5) Whose perfect steps should we follow? (See I Peter 2:21-22)
Oops. We almost forgot to post the memory verse.
Here's I Peter 2:9, both the NKJV and the CEV versions:
New King James Version:
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..."
Contemporary English Version:
"But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done..."
Jesus, The Suffering Servant: Isaiah 53
This Sunday's Sunday school lesson comes from Isaiah 53, prophecy about the coming Jesus the Christ and his ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
Our adult Sunday school lesson (Gospel Advocate's Companion 2008-2009 series on Great Texts of the Bible), "The Suffering Servant," is broken down in the following ways:
In talking about Jesus Christ as the Servant of the Lord:
His Origins (Isaiah 53:1-3)
His Ordeal (Isaiah 53:4-9)
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
His Offering (Isaiah 53:10-12)
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see the labor of His soul,and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
There is no topic more important or interesting than Jesus, our Saviour. At Jefferson Street, our studies and Bible discussions get very interesting. (Maybe it's just interesting to us, but you won't know until you stop by now, will you?)
We invite you to come and learn with us.
Since we'll be discussing this portion of the Bible in our class on Sunday morning, we thought we'd post a few links to articles from the brotherhood that reference this chapter of Isaiah, as well as the New Testament accounts.
This is just a small sample. Since the death, burial and resurrection are the foundation for Christianity, there is certainly far more material and helpful commentary in helping us to get a clear understanding of the scriptures.
Our adult Sunday school lesson (Gospel Advocate's Companion 2008-2009 series on Great Texts of the Bible), "The Suffering Servant," is broken down in the following ways:
In talking about Jesus Christ as the Servant of the Lord:
His Origins (Isaiah 53:1-3)
1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
His Ordeal (Isaiah 53:4-9)
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
His Offering (Isaiah 53:10-12)
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see the labor of His soul,and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
There is no topic more important or interesting than Jesus, our Saviour. At Jefferson Street, our studies and Bible discussions get very interesting. (Maybe it's just interesting to us, but you won't know until you stop by now, will you?)
We invite you to come and learn with us.
Since we'll be discussing this portion of the Bible in our class on Sunday morning, we thought we'd post a few links to articles from the brotherhood that reference this chapter of Isaiah, as well as the New Testament accounts.
This is just a small sample. Since the death, burial and resurrection are the foundation for Christianity, there is certainly far more material and helpful commentary in helping us to get a clear understanding of the scriptures.
- The Predicted Messiah (from Apologetics Press)
- The Crucifixion of Christ (from the Salisbury Church of Christ in NC)
- Salvation: The Blood of Christ (from Bible InfoNet/Firm Foundation)
- Understanding the Cross of Christ: Parts One, Two, and Three (from Forthright)
- The Death of Christ (from theBible.net) (His death, and of course, His burial, and resurrection.)
Monday
Do You Need Prayer? Effective or Effectual, Fervent Prayer?
This Wednesday: Song and Prayer Night.
Normally, the last Wednesday night of the month, the adult class, the youth class, and now, our new converts class, all come together for an hour of singing and praying. There is such sweet fellowship when the brothers lead the congregation in various songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, and when the brothers take turns leading the congregation in prayer.
Of course we always pray, but on song and prayer night, there's something more intimate about it. Each brother asks if there are any prayer requests, and prays for all of our needs.
For this brief hour of fellowship and service, a person knows that when he or she has an immediate need or request, almost immediately their needs are known and being prayed for by their Christian family.
The singing (between prayers) to the Lord provides a harmonious encouraging "soundtrack" or "playlist," if you will, to help each person remember (via songs, hymns, and spiritual songs) that God is greater than any problem we're asking prayers for.
What about you? Do you need prayer? Do you need folks who are trying to be righteous to pray for you?
Please let us know. Lord willing, we'll be at the building Wednesday night at our usual time from 7:00 PM to just after 8:00 PM. We hope you can be here!
Ephesians 5:19-20 (King James Version)
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
James 5:13-17 (New King James Version)
"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months."
Proverbs 15:29 (New International Version)
"The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous."
Saturday
What the Grownups are Learning in Sunday School
Sunday school isn't just for kids; it's for grownups, too.
If you haven’t been here, you’re missing a treat.
Last week we were in Deuteronomy 6:1-15 and this Sunday we're discussing the 23rd Psalm. Still to come this quarter (according to our Sunday School books), lessons from Ecclesiastes 12:1-12, Isaiah 53:1-12, Luke 15:11-32 and many more texts.
The adult class recently reached a portion of our Sunday school book called, “Great Texts of the Bible.” It's the summer quarter of the Companion 2008-2009 from Gospel Advocate. These lessons run simultaneouly with the Foundations lessons, but are more in depth.)
If you haven’t been here, you’re missing a treat.
Last week we were in Deuteronomy 6:1-15 and this Sunday we're discussing the 23rd Psalm. Still to come this quarter (according to our Sunday School books), lessons from Ecclesiastes 12:1-12, Isaiah 53:1-12, Luke 15:11-32 and many more texts.
Please come. Your presence encourages our teacher, our classmates, and ultimately, you’ll find, you, yourself are encouraged, too.
Friday
3 Questions About I Peter 1
Wednesday night, our adult class finished studying the first chapter of First Peter. We covered a lot of ground in those two weeks of study. Jesse, one of our teachers, got the class hyped and seriously thinking about this portion of God's Word, with questions like these three questions from the 10 on the I Peter handout:
1) Question 3: The people Peter wrote to were suffering persecution. How are we to handle persecution in our lives? (See James 1:2-4; I Peter 3:17, and Romans 12:14.)
2) Question 4: How do we as Christians have an "inheritance" (verses 3-4)?
3) Question 6: Is is possible to be holy as Jesus is holy? And how can we go about living holy lives? (See verses 15 and 16 for help.)
Due to work scheduling, Jesse passed the teachers' baton to Mark, Lord willing, will continue with the second chapter of I Peter this coming Wednesday, June 17.
We hope to see you there!
1) Question 3: The people Peter wrote to were suffering persecution. How are we to handle persecution in our lives? (See James 1:2-4; I Peter 3:17, and Romans 12:14.)
2) Question 4: How do we as Christians have an "inheritance" (verses 3-4)?
3) Question 6: Is is possible to be holy as Jesus is holy? And how can we go about living holy lives? (See verses 15 and 16 for help.)
Due to work scheduling, Jesse passed the teachers' baton to Mark, Lord willing, will continue with the second chapter of I Peter this coming Wednesday, June 17.
We hope to see you there!
Wednesday
3 Reasons We Welcome You to Visit Us Tonight
It's been an amazing few weeks since we last posted here. Though things have been quiet here online, Jefferson Street is still alive IRL. We still invite you to visit with us for our Sunday Bible study, Sunday worship services and our 7:00 PM Wednesday night Bible study.
One of the reasons we welcome you to stop by is to share in our recent joy. We've rejoiced to see two souls put the Lord on in baptism, bringing this year's baptismal response count to four souls!!! (We had two baptisms in April, one baptism the last Sunday in May, and one baptism last week.) We'd be excited even if we were a larger congregation.
As we mentioned before, every soul we reach with the gospel is important. Though the 4 souls didn't arrive via the blog/web ministry, visitors arrived a couple of weeks ago because they found us through the blog. All this good news (baptisms and visitors) reminds us that God is able!
A second reason to stop by the "church house" on Wednesday nights is to participate in our study of the book of I Peter. Mark and Jesse (not Mark, the apostle, and not Jesse, father of David in the Old Testament) are working together to carry our adult class through the Book of First Peter.
Last week Brother Jesse began teaching from I Peter 1. The class enjoyed the discussion so much that we ran out of time to finish the chapter. Tonight, the adult class plans to finish up chapter 1.
According to the handouts, our key verses (actually, they're labeled memory verses, but we encourage you to come even if you haven't memorized them) is I Peter 1:15-16:
A third reason...Yes, there is a third reason we want you to know that you're welcome to stop by this evening and study God's Word with us. We want to get to know you. We hope you want to get to know us.
If you come, and you get to know us, you can also match some faces with some of the articles we posted earlier this year. If you read "Remain Unmovable" or "Gentleness in the Lives of Christians," or "Are We Loving?," you may want to discuss the scriptures the articles mentioned.
Sure, you could do that with comments. But wouldn't it be better to go over the scriptures together, with Bibles in our palms, side by side, getting to know if what we say is what God says? Wouldn't it be better to find out for yourself is those folks at the Church of Christ on Jefferson Street are really loving?
Well, there are just a few more hours until Bible study starts. If you need directions, you're welcome to give us a call at 804-733-9356. Or if you're more comfortable, use Google or MapQuest to help you navigate your way here. (Phone calls are always better.)
Though you're always welcome, we hope to see you tonight!
One of the reasons we welcome you to stop by is to share in our recent joy. We've rejoiced to see two souls put the Lord on in baptism, bringing this year's baptismal response count to four souls!!! (We had two baptisms in April, one baptism the last Sunday in May, and one baptism last week.) We'd be excited even if we were a larger congregation.
As we mentioned before, every soul we reach with the gospel is important. Though the 4 souls didn't arrive via the blog/web ministry, visitors arrived a couple of weeks ago because they found us through the blog. All this good news (baptisms and visitors) reminds us that God is able!
A second reason to stop by the "church house" on Wednesday nights is to participate in our study of the book of I Peter. Mark and Jesse (not Mark, the apostle, and not Jesse, father of David in the Old Testament) are working together to carry our adult class through the Book of First Peter.
Last week Brother Jesse began teaching from I Peter 1. The class enjoyed the discussion so much that we ran out of time to finish the chapter. Tonight, the adult class plans to finish up chapter 1.
According to the handouts, our key verses (actually, they're labeled memory verses, but we encourage you to come even if you haven't memorized them) is I Peter 1:15-16:
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”--I Peter 1:15-16
A third reason...Yes, there is a third reason we want you to know that you're welcome to stop by this evening and study God's Word with us. We want to get to know you. We hope you want to get to know us.
If you come, and you get to know us, you can also match some faces with some of the articles we posted earlier this year. If you read "Remain Unmovable" or "Gentleness in the Lives of Christians," or "Are We Loving?," you may want to discuss the scriptures the articles mentioned.
Sure, you could do that with comments. But wouldn't it be better to go over the scriptures together, with Bibles in our palms, side by side, getting to know if what we say is what God says? Wouldn't it be better to find out for yourself is those folks at the Church of Christ on Jefferson Street are really loving?
Well, there are just a few more hours until Bible study starts. If you need directions, you're welcome to give us a call at 804-733-9356. Or if you're more comfortable, use Google or MapQuest to help you navigate your way here. (Phone calls are always better.)
Though you're always welcome, we hope to see you tonight!
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