Praying the Word

This week we will be studying "Praying the Word." As it says in the introduction:

Prayer is the voice of faith and faith comes by the hearing of God's Word. He speaks His Word, which creates and sustains faith. The strong Word of the Gospel unlocks lips to call upon God in prayer and thanksgiving. God even gives us words to prayer as we see in the Psalms and the Lord's Prayer. His Word sets the agenda for our praying."

To prepare for this week's lesson please read John 16:12-24.

Word - "Inwardly Digesting the Word"

After a two week hiatus, we will be having Bible class again this Sunday at 10am.

We will be on to the next session of "Word:" Inwardly Digesting the Word.

In preparation, you can read these passages: Psalm 1 Psalm 119:97-104

I'll see you tomorrow!

No Class March 23rd & 30th

Hi everyone. Just letting you know that we will not have class this Sunday, March 23rd, or the following Sunday, March 30th. We will pick it up again the following Sunday. A blessed Holy Week to you all!

The Words That Kill and Give Life

This Sunday we will be studying the two different voices that God uses in His Word.

"[God's] Law is the preaching of wrath against sin. It is that voice from Sinai's lofty heights that thunders with condemnation of the sinner and his sin."

"The Gospel stands in distinct contrast from the Law. While the Law makes demands and threatens with punishment, the Gospel makes promises and bespeaks peace with God in the blood of Jesus Christ."

To prepare for this study, please read 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, which you can find here. If you want to do more in-depth preparation, you can read a section of the Book of Concord here.

I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

Get out of hell free

Pastor Wil Weedon of St. Paul's Lutheran in Hamel, IL posted a very interesting sermon on his blog. It deals with an idea we talked about in Bible Class a week ago, about how some Lutherans will use the phrase "But I am baptized" as a license to sin. I know I am certainly guilty of this.

This is a phrase Luther would always come back to whenever the devil would come to torment him and remind him of past sins. Then Luther would say, "But I am baptized," which would give him comfort. This is much different from using "But I am baptized" as a "get out of hell free" card.

Check out this sermon on this subject.

New Study: "Word: God Speaks to Us"

This Sunday at 10am we will begin a new study in the "Lutheran Spirituality Series" entitled "Word: God Speaks to Us."

As the introduction to the study says, "Our God is a speaking God. Unlike idols made of mute stone or crafted by the imaginations of the faithless heart, the living God has a voice. He speaks and His words are 'spirit and life' (John 6:63)." As the introduction later says, "This study is designed as a hearing aid. That is, it is the purpose of this study to assist you not only in understanding what God's Word is and how it functions, but also to sharpen your skills in listening to our Lord as He speaks in His Scriptures and in preaching that is governed by the Scriptures."

This week we begin with a session called "The God Who Speaks. To prepare for this study, please read Hebrews 1:1-2.

See you Sunday!

Nathan

Christianity in the Workplace

This week in class we will be studying "Christianity in the Workplace."

To prepare for this study, please read the text of Ephesians 6:5-9, which you can find here.

This should be an interesting study as we learn and discuss how Christianity comes into play in the workplace, especially in light of our previous weeks' discussions. See you Sunday at 10!

Our next study

I am starting to look at the next study and I would like your input.

I am looking at a study on Prayer and a study on the Word of God. Both look good and I am curious what if one would be more interesting or useful to you. Please comment and let me know.

Vocation - Session 4

This week we will be studying "Vocation in the Christian Home." As Christians, we are called to serve our neighbors, and our closest neighbors are in our homes. This week we will look into the various vocations at home, such as husband, wife, father, mother, son, or daughter. Join us for this great study as we continue our study of the Doctrine of Vocation.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday at 10 am in the downstairs classroom.

Spiritual Living in an Unspiritual World

We had an interesting class yesterday that ended up talking about the Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms. We understand that in the Kingdom of the Left (earth), God deals with us according to His Law, through authorities, which are all established from Him. We also understand that in the Kingdom of the Right (heaven), God deals with us according to His Gospel, that is, by grace.

To learn more about this Doctrine, click here. The first two articles should be especially helpful.

Remember that all of this talk about the two kingdoms can also be explained in the 4th Commandment. Take some time and look at that commandment and Luther's explanation. You can find that here.

Vocation - Session 3

This Sunday we will study "Spiritual Living in an Unspiritual World." To prepare for this lesson, read Ephesians 2:1-22, paying special attention to verses 8-10. I quoted these verses last week and they focus our studies this week.

I look forward to seeing you all there as we continue this excellent study on Vocation.

First Post

This is the inaugural post for the Grace Lutheran Discussions blog. This blog will provide an opportunity for the people of Grace Lutheran Church to discuss theological things outside of Sunday Morning Bible Class. I plan on posting a topic a week to discuss, usually based on the Bible Class topic for that week.