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EPHESIANS 6 = BE STRONG IN THE LORD! Bible Background: This letter was written for people who were very much in the minority in their culture, and whose allegiance to Christ was putting them at odds with their own families and communities. This is not a strategy towards a more... Read More →

EPHESIANS 4 = LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING! Bible Background: In this chapter Paul’s builds on what God has done for us in Christ, and challenges us to live up to our calling to be Christ’s own, and to be united by the Spirit, in love. What follows is a series... Read More →

Ephesians 2=Christ is our Peace! Bible Background: Chapter 2 is deep on meaning and long on words again! Verse 8 is a key one for Lutheran theology: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is a gift of God!” Verses 11-22 really... Read More →

Jeremiah 31, 33=The New Covenant Bible Background: This mid-section of Jeremiah, nicknamed “The book of Comfort”, is where we hear beautiful words of hope and promise. The God who judges is also the God who saves. And God’s judgement is not mainly about... Read More →

Jeremiah 29=Letter to the Exiles Bible Background: The warnings and calls for the people of Judah to turn back to God went mostly unheeded, and two deportations occurred: one in 597 BCE (mostly carrying off to Babylon the ‘higher ups’, like the skilled craftsmen and... Read More →

Jeremiah 36=An Arrogant King Burns the Scroll Bible Background: The book of Jeremiah has been through quite a few edits and additions. Chapters 30-31 are nicknamed “the Book of Comfort”. We’ll get to them in Week 6 (and end on a ‘high’ note!) Chapter... Read More →

Jeremiah: Call and Commissioning Bible Background: Jeremiah (one of the Major Prophets-because we have a ‘major’ amount of writing by or about him), began as a prophet in 626 BCE. He continued through about 587 BCE when Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon. This time of... Read More →

Galatians=By Grace We Belong! Bible Background: We jumped from Acts 15 (new believers do not have to first become observant Jews) to a similar theme of Paul’s in this letter. “Galatia” is a region in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Paul is adamant that the... Read More →

ACTS 8 = PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH Bible Background: This is not the strangest story in the Bible, but it is crazy-in a wonderful way-how this encounter happens, and how the circle of those following the risen Christ grows bigger and bigger! Philip is one of the 7 deacons,... Read More →

LUKE 24:13f=THE WALK TO EMMAUS Bible Background: Luke alone records this story of the 1st Easter afternoon. Emmaus is about 7 miles from Jerusalem. Two followers of Jesus (two men? a couple?) are getting out of town after an awful weekend of Roman crucifixions. It appears that... Read More →