Speaking of Jesus: John the Baptist
Read: Mark 1:7-8 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7,8 RSV) In the Gospel According to Mark, we meet a […]
Boasting About Tomorrow
Read: Proverbs 27:1-2 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. (Proverbs 27:1-2, RSV) What it Means What does it mean to boast about tomorrow? What kind of behavior is this ancient proverb […]
A Faithful Man
Read: Proverbs 20:6-7 Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but a faithful man who can find? A righteous man who walks in his integrity—blessed are his sons after him! (Proverbs 20:6,7 RSV) The proverb says, “Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but a faithful man who can find?” What We Say About Ourselves It […]
Kindness to the Poor
Read: Proverbs 19:17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17, RSV) Who Are The Poor? Who are the poor of this world? The Bible uses several terms to describe them, each with a different shade of meaning. First, poor can mean those completely […]
John the Baptist: The Greatness of a Prophet
Read: Luke 3:7-9, Luke 7:24-28, John 3:28-30 Since all of the prophets were great men of God holding the highest office in the land, let us consider today in what sense John the Baptist was the greatest of the prophets. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a […]
Daniel: The Predictions of a Prophet
Read: Daniel 2:44, 47, Deuteronomy 18:21-22, Matthew 11:28-29 In our study of the Book of Daniel, we will begin by observing the account it gives of the making of a prophet. The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to […]
Ezekiel: A Prophet’s Responsibility
Read: Ezekiel 33:7-11, 30-33 Ezekiel 36:25-28, Hebrews 2:1-3 In this message we will discuss the question: What does the figure of the watchman teach us about the function of a prophet and consequently of a minister of the Word of God? So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of […]
Jeremiah: The Word of the Lord
Read: Jeremiah 23:1-40, 2 Timothy 4:2-4 In our study of this passage from Jeremiah we will find five characteristics of a true prophet of the living God. Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the […]
Isaiah: The Vision of God
Read: Isaiah 6:1, 5-7, Isaiah 55:1-2, 8-9, Hebrews 1:1-2, 2 Peter 1:16-21 The whole message of the Bible can be summed up in three basic words: God has spoken. This is the foundation of the Christian faith. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train […]