OC Bereans

Gentlemen,

Click here for the Daniel 3 Notes from tonight’s study.

In addition, here is the handout I read about “Squanto: The Pilgrim’s God-Send” tonight … share it with your family & friends this Thursday around the Thanksgiving table.

Remember to pray for each other … Abide in the Vine!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

Please download and print, then bring this handout on Daniel 3 with you to Monday night’s study.  Here are some of the questions we will be discussing:

1. What motivated Nebuchadnezzar to build this tall, golden statue?
2. Why did he use music to get the people to bow in worship to the statue?
3. Who were the Chaldeans?
4. What motivated them to bring accusations against Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego?
5. How does Nebuchadnezzar’s question (v. 15) set up the ending of this story?
6. What practical life lessons can be gleaned from their response to the king in vv. 16-18?
7. What are some ways we are asked to compromise within our culture in order to fit in with the general public?
8. How would you feel if required to make a choice of faith that could result in your death?
9. As a result of the obedience of these three Hebrews, how does Nebuchadnezzar ultimately respond?  (vv. 28-30)

Here is an interesting artist’s rendition of the golden statue that you may want to print and add to your notebooks.

Dessert will be served at 7 pm … the study starts shortly after that!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

Click here for the Daniel 2:24-49 Notes from tonight’s study.

                                             King Nebuchadnezzar dreams

Remember to pray for each other throughout this week!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

Click here for the Daniel 2:1-23 Notes from tonight’s study.

Remember to pray for each other throughout this week!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

In his final letter, the Apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy the following exhortation:

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:2

This is one of the core values of the “OC Bereans” Bible study.  What we learn on Monday nights, may we all pass along to others within our spheres of influence.

Click here for the Daniel 1:8-21 Notes from last Monday’s study, and here for a handout on Daniel 2.

Brent is bringing the dessert Monday night! … so plan to arrive by 7 pm for that.  The study will start shortly after that.

~ tr

“Dare to be a Daniel,

Dare to stand alone,

Dare to have a purpose firm.

Dare to make it known.”

Gentlemen,

Click here for the Daniel 1:1-8 Notes from tonight’s study.

See you in three weeks, on Monday, October 31st!

Resolve to continue praying for each other.

Abide in the Vine!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

While refining my teaching notes from Monday night’s introduction to Daniel, I came across this combination quote from Dallas Willard’s book, Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge:

“One result of the displacement of faith from knowledge … is that many people now believe you do not need to think deeply and carefully to follow Christ.  C.S. Lewis makes a very penetrating comment about this matter: ‘God has room for people with very little sense, but He wants everyone to use what sense they have. … God is no fonder of intellectual slackers than of any other slackers.  If you are thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you that you are embarking on something which is going to take the whole of you, brains and all. … One reason why it needs no special education to be a Christian is that Christianity is an education itself.'”  (pp. 10-11)

Strong stuff! … this is why we commit to meeting together weekly to study the Word of God.

Click here for my Notes on Introduction to Daniel.  Please bring these with you so we can complete our discussion on this background info.  In addition, download and print the Secular Context of Daniel, borrowed from Joyce Baldwin’s commentary (p. 81).

Please review questions 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 from the previous blog post as preparation for Monday night.

Dessert will be served at 7 pm … the study starts right after that … see you then!

Abide in the Vine!

~ tr

P.S.  We will take a two-week break after this while I visit Thailand.

Gentlemen,

“Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone …”

That is the opening line of an old chorus I learned in Sunday School when I was a young boy.  As we launch our next book study, on the O.T. book of Daniel, we will discover how relevant the words of that chorus are to our current culture.

Please download and print the following three handouts, then bring these with you Monday night:

•  Introduction to Daniel

•  Chronological Order

•  Daniel 1

The following eight questions will help prepare you for Monday night’s discussion:

1. After reading through the book of Daniel, what general observations did you make about the book?
2. What is a basic outline for the book?
3. Daniel 1:2 states: “The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his (Nebuchadnezzar’s) hand …”  Why did God do this?
4. Define “God’s sovereignty.”  What does it mean to you in your everyday life?
5. What does chapter one reveal about the main character, Daniel?
6. Daniel and his friends had to determine which parts of Babylonian culture they could live with, and which parts they should stand against.  How do you make that determination in our culture?
7. Describe a time when you had to stand up for your beliefs, as Daniel and his friends did in regard to the king’s food.
8. How would you describe the traits that differentiate a “conformer” (to culture) from a “transformer” (of culture)?

Dessert will be served at 7 pm … the study will start shortly after that.

See you Monday!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

It is with mixed emotions that we leave our 9-month-long study of the N.T. book of Hebrews.  Part of me wants to simply rest in the sublime fact of the supremacy of Jesus … while another part is eager to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

For the nine of us who attended last night, we enjoyed each other’s κοινωνία, while accomplishing three things:

• We unpacked the various nuances of the last ten verses of the book.
• We quickly reviewed what we learned about and from Hebrews over the previous nine months.
• We participated in a “Lectio Divina” (Latin for “divine reading”) on Hebrews 12:1-3.  This is a discipline of meditating on Scripture that invites us to listen, ponder, and pray through a passage, allowing the Holy Spirit to “read” us while we read the Scripture.  It was powerful!

For those who could not join us, click on the three links above for the handouts we distributed.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

We will now head back even further into biblical history, and turn our attention toward the O.T. book of Daniel.  Next Monday, October 3rd, we will introduce the book and skim over some of the highlights.  In the meantime, please read through the twelve chapters.  Questions to aid your preparation will be posted to this blog later this week.

Remember to pray for each other.

Abide in the Vine!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

Click here for the Hebrews 13:4-15 Notes from Monday night’s study.

This coming Monday, September 26th, we will conclude our 9-month-long study of the Book of Hebrews!  Specifically, here is what we have planned:

• Briefly unpack Hebrews 13:16-25 … read through this portion to prepare yourself.
• Review the highlights from the entire book.
• Participate in a “Lectio Divina” on a key passage … this promises to be a moving experience … come ready to hear from our Triune God.

Plan to arrive by 7 pm so you can enjoy dessert and “catching up” with the guys … the study will start shortly after that.

Nate just launched a new blog … NatesNews2You … check it out!

Remember to pray for each other!

Abide in the Vine!

~ tr