2-Yr Journey Through The Bible
A note from Pastor Rossi, with encouragements and hints for the congregation as we embark on this 2-Yr Journey Through the Bible.
Helps For The Journey (check back often for new content)
Video - Helps for reading through the bible. This is a video of an Adult Sunday School Class where Rev. Paul Brummel gives us some very good tips for reading the Bible.
Video - The Value of Cross-references. One help in reading the Bible is the use of cross-references. Pastor Rossi illustrated this wonderfully for us in a recent sermon. This is a 13 minute clip of the illustration.
Video - Five Questions Illustrated. This is another video in the series to improve our Bible reading. In this 11 minute annotated extract from the sermon preached on Sunday, January 29,2023, Pastor Anema illustrates how answering five questions enhances our understanding and application of most passages.
Video - Question 4 Illustrated. The Old Testament, rightly understood, is all about Jesus (Luke 24:27). This Adult Sunday School class gives 3 tips for understanding how we answer the question "What is God teaching me about Jesus?" It is illustrated using Genesis 45.
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You will also find the morning sermon presented the same day (Feb 5, 2023) clearly illustrates the 3 tips.
From the Pastor
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
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By God’s grace, we enter a new year of His goodness and faithfulness. It has been my hope and prayer that we, the people of God at Immanuel URC, will continue to grow together in our common faith in Christ, our fervent hope in the life to come and our mutual love for the Lord and one another.
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In these dark days, it is so important and vital to the life of the Church that we hold firmly to the Lord and His Word because His Word is truth and “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
In the year 2023, we begin a journey together through the whole Bible. I would like to encourage you to join me on this two-year journey through the Bible, reading two chapters per day. Please take your time and consider some of these helpful practices when you read the Scriptures.
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1) Begin each reading with prayer, asking the Lord to shed light upon the passage of Scripture so that you may understand the meaning of it and learn to apply the principles or commands gleaned from it.
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2) Write observations, questions, insights and application in a journal.
· What is the main idea of the passage?
· What is God teaching me about Himself?
· What is God teaching me about myself?
· What is God teaching me about Jesus?
· How should I respond to the teaching from the passage?
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3) Use cross-references. There may be passages of Scripture that are hard to understand. Cross-references will direct you to other passages of Scripture that relate to the difficult passage and give clarity to the difficult passage.
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4) Conclude with meditation and prayer, reflecting upon the meaning of the passage and asking God, by His grace and Spirit, to help you live by faith in His Son and in gratitude for His love and mercy toward you.
5) Discuss the Bible readings with one another and other Bible reading practices that you find helpful. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
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In Christian Love,
Pastor Roberto Rossi