Tonight we hear from both Palestinians and Israelis about what it's like to live in the Palestinian Territories, which Israel controls. There is a lot that is undefined for the residents of those places (the West Bank and the Gaza Strip), which raises anxiety. And the many separation barriers lead to lives being separated too.
Bible Study – Conflict and Peace in the Holy Land, part 4
This week we talk specifically about the city of Jerusalem. It's considered holy by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. So there are many holy sites in the city, but that makes it a contentious situation, as everyone wants to control it. We learn about who controlled what parts of the city throughout history, and yearn for the possibility of peace. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Christians led the way in making Jerusalem a city of peace.
Bible Study – Conflict and Peace in the Holy Land, part 3
In this session we continue the timeline of what events happened in the Holy Land, from 1948 onward—what changed, and how it affected the local population. We also watch an interview with a local Palestinian who is a Christian peacemaker, as we think about how we can join in the work to "seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:14).
Bible Study – Conflict and Peace in the Holy Land, part 2
Over the last 150 years, the Holy Land has experienced a lot of changes in terms of who has controlled and moved into it. Different populations, empires, and countries have impacted what life has been like for those who were living there. We learn a lot about that timeline, hear from a Jewish rabbi there, and talk about what the emotional effects have been.
Bible Study – Conflict and Peace in the Holy Land, part 1
This week we start a new series to help us learn about the historical and modern-day situation in the area we call the Holy Land—the stretch of land featured in the Bible that is important to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The situation there is deep and complex, so we will spend many weeks learning about different aspects of it. In this first week we learn about Christians who have lived in Palestine since the very beginning of the Christian church.
Bible Study – Inspired by Missionaries: Andy & Jutta Cowie (Haiti and West Africa), John 10:10
The missionaries we learn about this week are doing something great that we all can do: using the specific gifts they have to help people's lives be more abundant. Andy teaches young people how to repair cars, and Jutta helps women setup small businesses to provide for their families. All of the support, encouragement, and empowerment comes from the love of Christ and with the love of Christ. What skills and passions do you have?
Read John 10:10 online here.
Bible Study – Inspired by Missionaries: Rick & Lita Sample (San Francisco), 1 Peter 4:7-11
Unfortunately Pastor Stuart forgot to press record to make a video of the good Bible Study discussion we had this time. But you can still learn about the missionaries we met that our church offerings support.
Rick & Lita Sample work with immigrants in the San Francisco area. (Learn about them here!) Many of the people they serve are refugees from Burma. There are over a hundred different ethnicities in Burma, and the Karen people are an oppressed minority. The Samples help them navigate life in the States and connect with a Christian church where they can worship in their own language. That is true hospitality: one that welcomes, helps, and always respects.
We watched two short videos with some of the Karen people there in San Francisco. Zar Blue Paw talks about what life was like back in Burma and now in the US (watch that video here). Kyaw Soe is the pastor of the Karen church, and he talks about how meaningful it is for them to worship together (watch the video here).
The Samples' ministry is guided by 1 Peter 4:7-11 (read it here), which says that one of the ways we can show God's love is by welcoming people. So how can we, with our mission field of Weaverville, be inspired by the Samples' work in their mission field?
Bible Study – Inspired by Missionaries: Matt & Michelle Norman (Spain), 1 Kings 17:8-16
We take a look at some more great missionaries that we support. The Normans help their community in Barcelona realize the blessings and presence of God that is already within them. Many people there don't think church is for them and don't have a network of support. But by forming relationships, the Normans can minister to both physical and spiritual needs.
Read 1 Kings 17:8-16 online here.
The handout was a recipe for Spanish pizza that the Normans use around their table. Try it here!
To learn more about Matt & Michelle's ministry, click here.
Visual Bible Study
Over the last few weeks during Wednesday Bible Study we've been using paintings and artwork to illuminate our thoughts and study. If you missed any weeks and want to see some of the highlights, CLICK HERE to view a folder of artwork.
As you look at the images, what do you see? What does the painting make you feel or think of? Why do you think the artist chose the design they did for that Bible passage?
Weekly Bible Study – Studying the Bible Through Art
Creation
The weekly Wednesday Bible Study won’t be recorded and posted online for the next few weeks, because the lights will be off in the Fellowship Hall while we do something different. As we work our way through the Bible, we’ll use pieces of art to help illuminate our Bible study. The art pieces will be taken from a collection called the Saint John Bible, with images inspired by many biblical stories and passages. It is a modern work in the style of medieval illuminated Bibles. To learn more about it, explore the Saint John Bible website here. To see some of its images, click here. (This week was an introduction, overview, and discussion about Genesis 1.) As you look at the images, what do you see?
Weekly Bible Study – From Crucifixion to the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:36-41
At the end of the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, thousands of people decided to give their lives to God and follow Jesus. This week we read how that happened. When Peter gave a speech to help people in the crowd understand, he didn't try to manipulate them; he just told them the truth. Then they were "cut to the heart" and asked what to do. We'll think about what we can learn from that incredible moment.
Read Acts 2:36-41 online here.
Weekly Bible Study – From Crucifixion to the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:12-21
When the Holy Spirit filled up Jesus' disciples on Pentecost, it was a dramatic, incredible day. To explain it, Peter quotes from the Old Testament prophet Joel about what will happen when God's Spirit gets poured out. Some of it sounds great to us, but some of it might sound a little unnerving and even scary. But with God's Spirit, there is always always hope.
Read Acts 2:12-21 online here.
Weekly Bible Study – From Crucifixion to the Holy Spirit, John 14:15-21
Jesus says that if we love him, we'll obey his commands. We talk about what those are this week, but they're not easy. Fortunately Jesus said that God would send a Spirit to act as our Counselor and Advocate. So we talk about all the ways that God's Holy Spirit helps us.
Read John 14:15-21 online here.
Weekly Bible Study – From Crucifixion to the Holy Spirit, John 14:1-14
Where are we going in life, and how do we get there? In Jesus' last speech to his disciples before he was killed, he said he was going to his Father's house and would come back to take them with him. The disciples were confused because they were thinking physically and geographically. Jesus, of course, was talking spiritually—more abstract ideas than concrete ones. He wants the disciples to realize that the "way" to get where they need to go is the "Way" of Jesus. As long as we follow that Way, we will always be on the right path.
Read John 14:1-14 online here.
Weekly Bible Study – From Crucifixion to the Holy Spirit, Matthew 21:1-11
When Jesus entered Jerusalem the week he was crucified, it was a wild day. Crowds full of all kinds of people were shouting, people were wondering what was going on, and the whole city was "stirred" because of the "turmoil." We think about how that translates to our lives. When something wild happens, what do we make of it? Who are the crowds in our lives, and what are the special holy places we can go to?
Read Matthew 21:1-11 online here.
Weekly Bible Study – Inspired by Ministries, ABCCM (Asheville Buncombe Community Ministry)
There are many ways people can be in need. One church can't meet each and every kind of need, but a network of churches can. That's what ABCCM is and does. From the support of multiple churches, it helps people in our county with all kinds of needs. We hear about their great work this week, celebrate being a part of it, and learn about other ways to help. Our guest speaker is Mary Messarra, ABCCM's Crisis Ministry Director.
To learn more about all the incredible work ABCCM does, click here.
Weekly Bible Study – Inspired to Be Missionaries (1 Cor 13:1-3; Jn 3:16-17; 1 Jn 4:11-21)
If we truly have a relationship with God, then God's love for us will guide all our actions in love for others. That should be the main force for missions. If we're aren't acting out of love, then it will be pointless and annoying. Instead, all that we do should reflect God's deep and wide welcome of love.
Read 1 John 4:11-21; and John 3:16-17; and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 online here.
To look at the group discussion questions for each Bible passage, click here.
Bible Study – Inspired by Missionaries, Inspired to Be Missionaries (Eph. 1:18-23; Matt. 28:18-20)
Jesus embodied God's power. And now, as the Body of Christ, we can also connect with God's power. But only if and when we act as the hands of feet of Christ in the world. We think about how to do that this week, what it means, how it's a high calling, and the blessings it brings.
Read Ephesians 1:18-23 and Matthew 28:18-20 online here.
(The handout included questions to help us Track Jesus—where he went, what he did, and with who. Pastor Stuart reads out the questions during the Bible Study video.)
Bible Study – Inspired by Missionaries, Lynn & Mike Hutchinson (Togo, West Africa), John 10:10-15
Every person has value and God-given talents. That belief is what guides the work of Mike & Lynn Hutchinson in the country of Togo, in West Africa. Togo is regularly the 10th or 11th poorest country in the world, so jobs, resources, and training are really hard to come by. But the Hutchinsons know that the people are capable and talented. They find the assets that are already there, nurture them, and build them up so that the Togolese people can have a life with more abundance.
Read John 10:10-15 online here.
To learn more about the Hutchinsons' work in Togo, click here.
Bible Study – Inspired by Missionaries, Brooke & Mike in Indonesia (Luke 14:1, 12-14; Hebrews 13:1-2)
Getting together with a group of people who mutually support each other is a huge help for us getting through life. Whatever the activity is that people come for, the mutual encouragement blesses us in ways too deep for us to measure. Brooke and Mike are making that possible throughout Indonesia, by offering space in the home in the city and by installing lights in rural churches. They are drawing people in, whose lives are then changed. Something we should do as well.
Read Luke 14:1, 12-14 and Hebrews 13:1-2 online here.
To learn more about Brooke & Mike, click here.