Bible Study Prep 5.22.10

Our Bible study has focused in on the narrative of God's rescuing of God's people from Empire. Empire has been defined as our conversation has progressed as the cultures and systems that have embedded the debasing of human dignity and inequity into society. God's movement of rescue is always a form of Exodus.

We have looked at three essential actions by God during an Exodus. 1). God provides God's people with a new identity. 2). God initiates a new kind of relationship with God's people described as a marriage. 3). God calls (invites) the people to embrace a new way to be human, a new way to be alive.

Our discussion has primarily been focused on the implications this three part Exodus has on communities seeking to be God's people. That is the primary function of biblical teaching - forming communities of people.

Yet, this week we are going to zero in on how each individual within an Exodus community has also been invited/called to participate in a personal Exodus, a personal leaving behind of a life below our best expression of God's gifts and entering into a new way of life, a new marriage to God and a new understanding of who we are at our core.

This week, you are invited to review the elements of Exodus we have discovered so far and reflect on how they apply to your personal life. Now.

Join the conversation.

Bible Study Prep 05.01.10

What kind of economy is supposed to exist in God's Kingdom? How are God's people supposed to interact with buying and selling in a way that stands against Empire? What role does acquiring stuff and consuming products play in informing our identities and communities?

This week our conversation continues with a discussion of Leviticus 25 and how God ordered the Exodus people's calendar to answer some of the above questions.

Read Leviticus 25.

Join the conversation.

Bible Study Prep 4.24.10

This week's conversation will continue on some implications of God's calling to His people during their Exodus. Looking at some of the specifics of the calling helps us develop a clearer picture of the one doing the calling (God) and the hopes and dreams of the caller for those being called (God's people). Each command helps us see the kind of creation God is in the process of restoring.

This week we will look at a few passages that talk about how God ordered the time of His people, how their calendar intentionally called for worship and action on behalf of the most vulnerable. God embedded concern for the weak into their understanding of how time passed/progressed.

Have a look at these passages:

Leviticus 25: 1 - 7

Leviticus 25: 8 - 56

Deuteronomy 16:9 – 12

Bible Study Prep 4.17.10

We will continue with our exploration of the ways God describe a new kind of humanity would live in relation to the most vulnerable. This week you can prepare by reading through the following verses and looking for possible present day applications. Who are the most vulnerable among us, in Sacramento, right now? What could our response as a community of Jesus followers look like?

Deuteronomy 10:14 - 19
Deuteronomy 14:28 - 29
Deuteronomy 16:9 - 12
Deuteronomy 24:17 - 22

Join the conversation!

Bible Study Prep 4.10.10

This coming week's Bible Study conversation will continue discussing the implications of "God's Body" in 1 Corinthians and then jump back into Exodus with a look at how God sought to form God's people into a nation that would fully demonstrate the essence of God. The people of God are always called to live in a way that translates their blessings and relationship with God into a demonstration of God's goodness. This was to be applied to more than their religious lives. It was to impact their economics, their acceptance of those who were different from them and how they related to the most vulnerable among them.

Here is some reading to get you started:

Exodus 22:21 - 27
Exodus 23:6
Deuteronomy 10:14 - 19
Deuteronomy 14:28 - 29
Deuteronomy 16:9 - 12
Deuteronomy 24:17 - 22

Join the conversation.

Key Ideas

Our Bible study is a topical bible study. We bounce from scripture to scripture, from story to story, chasing down different ideas about God and what it means to be human. All of us participate in determining what key ideas are beginning to emerge in our conversation. Here are a few that come to mind:

Exodus: The Exodus was an event, yes. But it is also a metaphor for how God deals with the oppression of the weak, wounded and poor. The Exodus happened, but it still happens. Exodus, the divine rescue of God for those who have been oppressed, is at the heart of the biblical story. In our discussion we have noticed three elements in the Exodus: 1). God provides his people with a new identity. 2). God initiates a new kind of relationship with his people, often described as a marriage. 3). God provides the people with a new way to live, a new way to be human.

Blessing: God blesses people so that they may use their blessings to bless others. God never intends for his goodness to us, to remain with us. This is a key concept for understanding the expansiveness of God's redemption plan and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Goodness: God's creation is described in Genesis as being "good." As each day of the creation picture unfolds and comes to a conclusion, God describes creation as progressively becoming "gooder." Our discussion has led us to idea that "goodness" is the capacity to grow in our ability to reflect God. God desires for his people to reflect goodness.

What are the other key ideas we have stumbled upon? Which ones have we missed? Which ones are new? Join the conversation!

Welcome

Welcome to our conversation. This blog is designed to be an ongoing forum for conversation for those involved in or interested in one of the Saturday morning bible studies at Natomas Crossroads Church. All are welcome. We look forward to generous conversations and challenging questions about what it might mean to follow Jesus in the 21st century. Join the conversation!