Want to learn more about Health & Healing? 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.
Lesson 1: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow! (Psalms 103, 2 Timothy 1:9, Exodus 15, Romans 12)
How important is your health? Would you like to wake
up every morning feeling great? If money is any gauge, I have read
that in the United States alone over two trillion dollars (trillion,
not billion) is spent each year on our health. Does God care about
our health? Is there a connection between righteousness and health?
Do we have an obligation to God to do our best to stay healthy?
Let’s dive into our new series of studies to see what the Bible has
to say about health!
Too many choices! Have you ever heard someone say
that? Wegman’s is a new grocery store in my area. I’ve never seen
anything like it. The different kinds and amounts of food to choose
from seem almost sinful. Some people in the world do not have enough
to eat, and this store seems to have not only every kind of food,
but an astonishing variety of each food. Milton Freedman is an
economist who wrote a book entitled “Free to Choose.” He argued that
a free people in a free economy will prosper. Thus, Wegman’s, with
its overwhelming number of choices, is the direct result of a free
economy. Wegman’s felt sinful. Is this idea of a free people making
free choices sinful? Or, is free choice at the heart of God’s
Kingdom? Let’s jump into our study of the Bible and find out!
Is there a difference between good ideas and Godly
ideas? Is everything that makes common sense required by God? For
example, is it a sin to drive without wearing a seat belt? If you
say, “yes,” is it a sin to buy an old car when new cars have
numerous safety systems? If you say, “yes,” is it a sin to buy a
small car because large cars are demonstrably safer in an accident?
If you say, “yes,” then is it a sin to buy any car other than a
Mercedes Benz S-Class – which is probably the safest large car in
the world? What about our decisions on activities that do not cost
us Mercedes money? These behaviors have an impact on death:
1)tobacco; diet/exercise; alcohol; microbial agents; toxic agents;
firearms; sexual behavior; motor vehicles; illicit use of drugs. Are
decisions in each of these areas a matter of righteousness and sin?
Let’s plunge into the Bible and see what God suggests!
Read the first chapter of the Gospel of John,
and ask yourself “Why did John start out his account of
Jesus this way?” My reaction is that John is concerned
that people do not understand who Jesus is. John
essentially says, “Pay attention and I’ll teach you what
you should know about Jesus.” Then John tells us a number
of stories to teach us about Jesus. Three of John’s first
four stories explaining who Jesus is have something to do
with water. The wedding at Cana story (John 2) converts
water to wine. The Nicodemus interview (John 3) focuses on
water baptism. The Samaritan woman story (John 4) explains
about living water. Let’s dive into our study and learn
more about “the Water of Life!”
The Bible in Romans 1:25 warns us against worshiping
the creation rather than the Creator. Such worship, the Bible tells
us, trades truth for a lie. On the other hand, the Bible tells us
in Psalms 19:1 that the heavens declare the glory of God. How, then,
should we react to our environment? Should we treat it as a trust
from God? Should we consider it an idol? Should we say “It is all
going to burn,” and look forward to a new heaven and a new earth?
Let’s jump into our study of what the Bible says about the
environment and find out more!
The Bible recounts many, in both the Old and New
Testaments, who were miraculously healed. What the Bible does not
explain is the mechanism by which this happened. Sometimes Jesus
used mud, other times spit, sometimes Jesus healed from a distance.
What should we conclude from that? The logical conclusion is that
mud and spit had nothing to do with it. So why would Jesus use them?
Consider something else. Physicians do not really heal
sickness, they merely improve the conditions for the body to heal
itself. What should we conclude from that? The logical conclusion is
that God created our bodies to heal themselves. Thus, the question
about faith healing is this: what part of the healing process is
connected with the mind? I recently read a book about the operation
of the brain and it cited several scientific studies which showed
that placebos (sugar pills) were effective in healing because people
believed the pills were medicine, not sugar. Did God wire our
brains to boost healing when we believe in healing? Let’s jump into
the Bible and see what it teaches us!
“I’ll rest when I’m dead.” Have you ever heard that?
Ever said it yourself? Sometimes it feels that way to me. When I was
in law school, students seemed to study every day. I believed that I
should not work on Sabbath. It was a wonderful, guilt-free rest. God
blessed me for it and gave me better grades than my buddies who
studied every day. But, these days rest is more elusive. I still
refrain from secular work on Sabbath, but I teach this lesson and
sometimes preach. That seems to be as much work as anything I do
during the work week. Some pastors take off Monday, but I need to
work Monday. How do we balance work and rest? Let’s jump into our
study and see what God has to say on the subject!
Praise God! Just past midnight, a fire broke out in
the first of a line of six townhouses between where I live and the
beach. A strong wind drove the fire so that it quickly consumed one
townhouse after another. I was certain that our condominium, which
was only 15 feet from the last townhouse, was doomed. My wife,
daughter and I prayed, the firefighters battled the flames, and the
fire was stopped at the last townhouse! The fire even burned a hole
in the fence between the townhouse and our condominium! Our hearts
are filled with intense gratitude and praise. Let’s explore what
the Bible teaches us about praise from His people!
Is temperance the right goal for a Christian? My old
Webster’s dictionary tells me that the word temperance comes from
the Latin for “moderation.” The new Merriam-Webster dictionary
defines it as “moderation in action, thought or feeling.” I hear
Christians say that they are “sold-out for Jesus.” Preachers tell
me that I must give my heart 100% to Jesus. This is consistent with
Deuteronomy 10:12 which tells me to serve God with “all” my heart
and soul. It seems to me that 50% of my heart and soul would be more
in accord with the goal of the moderate, temperate person. 100%
seems a little extreme if moderation is the goal! Let’s move
cautiously into our study of the Bible and find out if temperance is
truly God’s goal for our life!
When I was growing up, one parent of a friend liked to
challenge my group of friends on whether we were saved. It was good
to be forced to think about eternal things and my relationship with
God. However, I also remember that same parent was not honest – he
suggested a way in which I might save money by cheating the
government. The contrast was stark – and I remember his lack of
integrity as clearly as I remember his gospel prod. How about you?
Is your life a mixed message? What does it mean to live a life of
integrity? Let’s jump into our study of the Bible and see what we
can learn!
My wife teases me about always being the optimist.
However, even I understand how people can become discouraged. The
reasons for discouragement are sometimes obvious. This week I
visited a fellow who was just moved to the section of the medical
facility where people go to die. Although very physically fit, he
was brought to this point by a brain tumor. Others become
discouraged over what most would consider to be a very minor thing.
How can we keep a positive and happy outlook in life? How can we
have joy in life? Let’s jump into our study and see what the Bible
suggests!
If you were asked about the key to a healthy and long
life, what would you say? Most would say “exercise, diet, good air,
and common sense.” Common sense meaning to avoid dangerous
practices. The Bible says a lot about diet and common sense. Jesus
famously said in Matthew 15:11: “What goes into a man’s mouth does
not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is
what makes him ‘unclean.'” Does this make diet irrelevant? If so,
why does the Bible say so much about diet? Let’s dive into our study
of the Bible and see what we can learn!
More and more people in the United States these days
are single. Most people find their entertainment in the Internet,
television or video games. Right now you are using the Internet to
study the Bible by yourself! Are we all loners? An uncle of mine,
who died many years ago, was a minister in the Salvation Army. He
used to tell me about the “old days” when the church was the social
center of the community. Is this trend away from community,
especially church community, a good or bad thing? Does it impact our
health, spiritually or otherwise? Let’s dive into the Bible and find
out what it says about community!
