At first glance, Ecclesiastes appears to be in our Bibles only to turn its readers into cynics, skeptics, depressed individuals or perhaps some mix of all three). Can there be wisdom—and perhaps even joy—to be found in this odd (and oddly named) Old Testament book?
Taught by Brian Sorgenfrei & Les Newsom. Meets in the CPC sanctuary every Sunday at 9:45am.
Scripture Reference: Matthew 14:1-13a
Matthew inserts an interesting little story about the fate of John the Baptist at the hands of Herod Antipas, king of Judea in Jesus day. But the life of Herod provides an anti-example to us who, with the benefit of hindsight, can see what evil choices do to spoil a conscience.
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Scripture Reference: Matthew 12:1-14
When Jesus shows up in the Jewish countryside, his claims start to create reactions, depending on what was in the heart of his listeners. The Pharisees were famous for their miscalculations regarding Jesus, but when the topic of true rest arose, they were laid bare and wanted to kill him.
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Scripture Reference: Matthew 9:35-10:7
Having demonstrated the power of his kingdom, our Hero, Jesus, then chooses 12 disciples to carry on his mission of compassion, prayer and healing. Jesus’ priorities are the same for the church today and grasping HOW he passes these along is central to our present sense of mission today.
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Scripture Reference: Matthew 8:23-34
Jesus is traveling through Galilee doing amazing things, demonstrating his power. But until you understand the nature and context of his miracles, you can’t feel the full power of just what’s being suggested: Jesus is claiming authority of the chaos of our lives and healing people by the power of his Word.
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