Lenten Study – 2017 Series

2017 Lenten Study
Mondays (3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27)
7:00 – 8:80 pm
in the church library

Monday             March 6             Inspiration Out of Disaster

Monday             March 13           God Reconciles Us to Himself

Monday             March 20           God Comes in the Nick of Time

Monday             March 27           An Inner Peace

Join us for four nights of discussion led by retired Reverend Stan Culy, March Mondays in the church library from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. The discussions will deepen our understanding of the meaning of Jesus going to the cross and the help which God promises to bring to us.  Come for some or all of the classes.  Everyone is welcome. Below is an outline of the first discussion session:

Inspiration out of Disaster

586 AD was a year of doom and despair for the Jewish people.

Jeremiah 39:1-10
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Persia, conquered the people, destroyed their temple in Jerusalem, destroyed the city, and led all the citizens as slaves back to Babylonia. This was called the Babylonian Captivity as well as the Exile. It was also called the diaspora because the people were forced to leave their homeland and go to other parts of the world.

The worst thing, however, was that they felt that this was God’s punishment on them for not obeying him; and now they felt abandoned by him. Their faith was shattered.

Although, Isaiah himself lived before the destruction, one of his followers lived and wrote during the Exile; he is called Second Isaiah. It is he who heard God giving the people inspiration out of disaster.

Isaiah 40:1-2                                   Words of Inspiration
“comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.”

Isaiah 40:28-31
“even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 41:10
“fear not for I am with you,
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Isaiah 43:1-4
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your god,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior”

Isaiah 49:16
“I have graven you on the palms of my hands…”