Want to learn more about The Role of the Church in the Community? Use these Bible Studies for personal devotion, group Bible studies, or teaching a church class. Below are links to the lessons in this 13-part series.
God is under attack! His integrity and His authority as
Creator, Designer and Redeemer have been undermined by Satan from the
beginning. The attack continues today. The question for every human
is “What role do you play in the contest between good and evil?” Our
study of the Bible this week helps us to better understand the
issues. Let’s dig in and learn more!
What does “dominion” mean? The Commonwealth of
Virginia, where I live, is called the “Old Dominion.” When I looked
this up in Encyclopedia Virginia, I discovered that Virginia was the
first of the “overseas dominions of the kings and queens of England.”
I thought “Old Dominion” meant something grand. Instead, it means I
live in a place that was dominated by another country! The King James
version of the Bible says humans have “dominion” over the creation.
Let’s dive into our Bibles and learn what that means!
Did you ever consider the “rule of law” as a program to
benefit the poor? To refresh your recollection, the term “rule of
law” means that people live under established laws, not under the
constantly changing moods and commands of a ruler. I recently watched
a documentary which said that the best way to help the poor in less
developed countries is not to send them constant aid, but rather to
help them with the tools to make a living. These tools include
living under the rule of law, which treats the poor and the rich
equally. Let’s jump into our study and see what the Bible teaches us
on this subject!
When you think about the work of the Holy Spirit in the
Bible, do you focus mostly on the New Testament? Can you refine that
even more, by saying that an emphasis on the Holy Spirit starts with
the book of Acts? This week we discover a spotlight on the work of
the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament! Imagine that. Let’s dive into
an Old Testament examination of what the Holy Spirit has to do with
justice and mercy in our lives!
Recently, I read an article suggesting local churches
should discover the needs of the community (in that case a problem
with drug abuse), and then focus on helping the community with its
problem, instead of focusing on weekly worship. From time to time I
hear the idea that the local church should make a difference in the
community in some practical way. This article, however, went beyond
that and seemed to suggest that combating drug abuse in the community
was more important than weekly worship. As always, we need to see
what the Bible says about the best way to reach out to the community.
Let’s plunge into our study of the Bible and learn more!
Jesus and the Pharisees had different approaches to
converting sinners. Jesus ate with them. The Pharisees thought
sinners should aspire to be like them. We know converting sinners is
an important business because conversions cause joy in heaven. How
should we relate to sinners without having them convert us? Let’s
plunge into our study of the Bible and see what we can learn on these
important topics!
Christians going through difficult times often say that
God is refining their character. If we make bad choices, we generally
learn a lesson the hard way. None of us wants bad things to happen.
The idea that God allows bad things to happen to make us better
creates a general fear of God. Is that good? Is it possible that God
could bless you after you make a bad choice, to deepen both your love
for Him and your desire not to make that bad choice again? I
recently read about the idea of a corrective blessing, and I had
never considered it before – except I think that happened in my life.
Let’s dig into our study of the Bible and learn about behavior
modification and what Jesus desires for us!
My wife thinks that I need to improve when it comes to
sympathy. Whenever someone in the house is sick, she knows my first
thought is “I hope I don’t get that!” When I see some tragedy in the
life of another, my mind goes to what that person did or failed to do
to avoid that tragedy. Why? That allows me to believe that tragedy
won’t befall me. Then there is the problem of memory. A member of my
church will tell me of the sickness or death of a relative. Next week
it is likely that if I don’t personally know the relative, I’ve
forgotten! A number of years ago, I started working with a remarkable
man who modeled sympathy and compassion. I have learned a great deal
from him and today I’m much better than I used to be. Our lesson
today is about the greatest model of compassion and sympathy – our
Lord. Let’s plunge into our study of the Bible and learn more!
In last week’s study we touched on the issue of God’s
timing when we face suffering. When life is not going well, and we
need Jesus’ help, sometimes it seems as if He is not helping. Like
the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, it might be that God has
something bigger in mind. This week we look at several stories about
the way God helps in times of trouble. Why God acts the way He does
is not always clear to us. Let’s dive into our study of the Bible and
see if we can get at least some clarity!
Over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that what
God desires most in my life is an attitude of trust in Him. What do
you think God desires most of you? I imagine that if I heard your
answers, I could tie them all to trust. If you think that God most
desires your love, that would mean that you trust Him. If you think
God most desires your obedience, that means that you trust that His
directions in life are best. Just as we need to trust God, so we need
to help others to trust. Let’s jump into our study of the Bible and
learn more!
Do you have knowledge about marketing? I don’t. But, I
do have some common sense. My guess is that the first principle of
marketing is to believe in your product. Our lesson this week
encourages us regarding God’s attitude toward us. Another important
marketing principle is to determine who is most likely to want your
product. Our lesson this week shares with us some pointers on those
who are most likely to be converted. Let’s plunge into our study of
the Bible and learn more about marketing the gospel!
The Bible recounts how Peter and Paul worked in the
cities to share the gospel. The amazing thing is that each man used a
different approach to capture the attention of his audience. How
should we approach sharing the gospel in the cities in the end time?
How should we approach sharing the gospel where we live? Does it
require a high level of skill and cunning on our part? Or, is God in
charge of our approach and all we need to do is cooperate? Let’s
plunge into our study of the Bible and learn more!
Do you sometimes worry about whether Jesus is really
coming again? In a court of law, “gold standard” evidence is when
your opponent admits a fact is true. In Matthew 8:29 two demons
(fallen angels) first admit that Jesus is the “Son of God” and then
ask “have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
Fallen angels know God has an appointed time when Jesus will return
and bring an end to sin. Let’s jump into our study and discover what
the Bible says we should be doing while we wait!
