Skip to main content

Midweek Meditation, episode 1

Good evening church! The Coronavirus and social distancing make it impossible for us to meet this week, but we can still chat. So instead of our weekly Bible study in person, let's try this.


  1. Follow this link and create an account at Udemy. This course is free if you enroll by tomorrow, March 19th. 
  2. Watch the 3 minute course Overview video with Jennifer Loop. She'll explain how this course is put together. .
  3. Then view the 3 minute Introduction to the Letter by N.T. Wright. 
Bishop Wright mentions Philippians as one of the prison letters. The prison letters are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

Do you have a favorite letter of Paul? I love the little book of Philemon. It's a personal letter, short, and tells a beautiful story. I think the whole of Paul's theology can be seen there--Reconciliation is the heart of what it means to be part of the family of Jesus.

What about you? Do you have a favorite letter by Paul? Is there some question you wish you could ask him?
  • Now, let's watch the 19 minute Overview of the Letter by Bishop Wright.
Isn't it shocking how Paul can encourage others to rejoice when he's in prison? This is a joyful letter. One that's all about how to be the people of God. The idea is that we live together as family. We're to think of ourselves as united. And this letter encourages us to think in a new way--the Jesus way.

What stood out to you? What's your reflection?

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 7, 2021 at 1:52 AM

    Graphic Design is one of the fastest-growing and high-paying career options in the world today. If you're searching for the best graphic design course India then subhe eLearning is great platform. Learn 2D/3D Animation, VFX & graphic design in hindi from Best Industry Experts. Subhe offers a seamless experience for creating Graphics, Advertising, Photography, Image Editing for Newspapers, and much more. Become A Graphic Designer today! Apply Now

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ash Wednesday 2019

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your hearts, with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow; tear your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, very patient, full of faithful love, and ready to forgive (Joel 2:12-13 CEB) Today is a new beginning. A new season. And anytime we step into something new, we can feel vulnerable. We know our own brokenness. This is a season where we journey through the wilderness of our hearts and souls to the heart of God. This is a time that calls for us to walk carefully and to think deeply. And if we are to make progress on our pilgrim's path, then we must be willing to lay bare all that is hidden, buried, or repressed inside of ourselves. This path is uncomfortable. But if we want to move closer to God, then it is a path we must take. Lent doesn't make sense. It's counter-intuitive. We begin with death and move towards life. Today, many Christians will go to chu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Philippians 2:19-30

The way many people see Philippians 2:19-30 is that Paul is doing something similar to many preachers who say, "And one more thing . . ." and then preach for another twenty minutes. But I don't see Paul as the typical Baptist preacher. I think this pause is intentional. I don't think it was an early ending and then Paul had more ideas and kept writing. Paul is sending two people to the Philippians, and he's explaining why he's sending them. They are, as Bishop Wright says, "working models" of what Paul has been teaching. They think like Jesus. They understand the gospel, it's meaning, and they're practicing it. They are humble and they are living in this new Jesus way. While these verses may not be the most exciting, they help us to piece together the story of what's going on. Around the year 55 or 56 AD, Paul is in prison--likely in Ephesus. During that time, Paul wrote this letter. Timothy will hand-deliver this letter to the P...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Grand Tour: Repentance, Justification, and Sanctification

Eventually, in life, we will all wonder if there is more to life than what we do, what we see, and what we feel. Even after we accept Jesus into our heart, we will still feel a longing. We don't believe that accepting Jesus is the final step. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is only the beginning of our faith. The Holy Spirit continues to work in our lives. John Wesley used the illustration of a house to describe this work. When you're beginning to feel that there has to be more to life than this, you take a look at the house. Then, you’re moved to take a risk and step up on the porch of repentance. There you find new life. After that, you walk into the living room through the front door of justification. Justification is when God makes right what we never can; God, through Christ, makes things right. Wesley ended by saying that sanctification is the exploration of the rest of the house. How sad would it be to live your entire life in the living room? That would b...
Post a Comment
Read more