Reasoning Through the Bible

Jesus gives us an example of how we should pray. This session discusses how we should pray, showing us that prayer does not have to be difficult but rather a conversation with a loving Lord. We discuss the problem with meaningless repetition and compare rote memorization with meaningful conversation with God. We also discuss fasting and laying up treasures.    How are we to pray? Should we memoriz...

We review the purpose for the Sermon on the Mount and how individual people should interact with it. What were Jesus’ first teachings and how does that give context to the Sermon on the Mount? In this session we begin to go through the specific commands Jesus gives on how to live life and follow God.   How do we evaluate Christian ministers? How should Christian ministries handle giving? How shoul...

Jesus talks about darkness and light, what the light of the world is, and what we should do with our light.  In this chapter Jesus is taking the ten commandments and using them to show us how far short we fall from God’s perfect standard. We discuss the benefits of spreading the light of Jesus to a dark world.    What is the best light for a dark world?  What does it mean to be salt and light?  Is...

This session begins one of the most important and beautiful sections of the Bible, the sermon the mount. The first section is called the beatitudes because it has the great blessings of Christ to His followers. Are we expected to be able to live the commands of the sermon on the mount today or are the teachings for a future time period? What are the various ways to look at the sermon on the mount?...

This session discusses the interaction that Jesus had with the devil and how He resisted temptation. Jesus was tempted just as we are, yet He is without sin. Jesus gives us an example of how to resist the temptations of the evil one. We discuss Jesus’ fasting, the subtleties of temptation, how Jesus responded to the temptations, and what lessons we can learn from Jesus’ example.  We also get a maj...

In this session we meet John the Baptist and discuss his message and those who were listening to him. We discuss the theological distinctions between these groups, John’s blunt statements to the leaders, our attitudes about sin and repentance, and John’s message about judgement and coming wrath. The prophets predicted both God’s wrath and God’s love and mercy.  Jesus is presented as identifying wi...

What are we to think about people getting messages in dreams? This session discusses how to tell what to do with messages we get outside the Bible, including dreams, and how many prophecies did Jesus fulfill when He was born. This session also discusses the details of the stories surrounding the birth of Christ.   Does God speak to people in dreams today?   What about the modern messages people ge...

This session discusses the details around the birth of Jesus including Joseph and Mary. Matthew begins to show how Jesus fulfilled prophecy, Jesus name and background is important. We discuss how Jesus was fully human but without a sin nature and how Jesus has two natures, both divine and human, and how this gives Jesus the ability to be a mediator between God and mankind.    What is the main reas...

We begin the book showing how Jesus filled the role of King of Israel. This session discusses the conditions in Israel when Jesus was born and God’s big promises to Israel. We trace many of the passages where Jesus is called the Son of David and the passages where the Bible speaks of the covenants to Abraham, Moses, and David.   How did Jesus fulfill the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants?  What are...

What are the distinctions in the gospels?  Why are there four gospels instead of just one?  Who wrote them and can we trust their writings?  What does the term “gospel” mean and why is it important to us?  When were the gospels written?  How long was it between the events of Jesus and when they were written down? Who were the intended audiences for the gospels?  Were the gospels anonymous, or how...

The New Testament uses two similar phrases, but is there a difference between the “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God?”  Does it make a difference?  In this session we discuss the evidence that shows there is a difference, then discuss several Bible passages that use the terms to see what they say. We also discuss whether the kingdom is an internal spiritual state or a physical earthly kin...

The book of Ruth opens with Naomi and Ruth destitute and grieving but ends with Boaz showering blessings upon them. Likewise, we start life sinful and destitute but God notices us and Jesus romances us into a relationship with Him that ends in Him showering blessings upon us. Ruth starts the book with no future, but because she fully trusted the God of Israel, she is gifted with a future heritage...

We learn the details of the Kinsman Redeemer and the importance of that role in God’s plan. Boaz has been wooing Ruth and Naomi begins to play matchmaker.  Ruth lays at the feet of Boaz and asks him to take care of her, which he is very willing to do. Love wins and Boaz promises to take care of Ruth’s future. Boaz and Ruth illustrate the relationship of Jesus with His bride the church. We see Ruth...

We are introduced to fun romantic story that illustrates The Sacred Romance where the Christ figure, Boaz, notices Ruth and the love story begins. We learn of the responsibility of redeeming those who have no hope and ensuring they have a future and a heritage. We see Ruth as a virtuous woman who works diligently and Boaz as a protector of Ruth just like our great protector shows favor to us.   Wh...

We see Ruth totally commits herself to her mother-in-law Naomi and the God of Israel, which makes all the difference. Naomi declares herself bitter at the loss of her entire family. She does not see the great reward that God has in store. Ruth trusts completely in God without knowing what the future will bring. Ruth is “all in” for God and shuts the door behind her.  We also learn of God’s way of...

One central theme of the Bible is the idea that Jesus redeemed us by giving Himself for us. Perhaps the greatest illustration of what Jesus did for us is the story of Ruth and Boaz. The book of Ruth has a romantic love story that explains one of the most important doctrines in the entire Bible. The book of Ruth includes kindness, love, rest, God’s providence, and redemption.   This first session t...

While Israel is rightfully shocked at the woman’s murder, the tribe of Benjamin would rather have a civil war than to turn over rapists and murderers to justice. These sins cause the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Israel makes a foolish vow and tries to get away with silly technicalities with vows to God.   Is there a limit to how depraved humans can get?  What should you do when you’re do...

We meet a paid religious leader who is mainly interested in getting a larger congregation. We meet people of Israel that continue in disobedience by setting up idols in the center of the city. All the while no one is asking for God’s guidance or forgiveness. A woman gets raped to death then dismembered, a crime that shows the depth of disobedience of Israel, who is in full-blown disobedience and i...

We meet a woman who is very confused spiritually. She tries to mix worship of the true God with false idols, then does not follow through with a vow, then blesses a thief. We also meet a man who tries to create his own religion in his home. We see people who are sincere but wrong, and learn that God insists on One Way.   Is all religious worship valid?  Is it possible to worship the true God and i...

Samson is spiritually blind even before he was physically blind. God uses Samson even though he continues in selfishness and disobedience. Samson only prays when he is need of help, not to get guidance from God. Samson shows a weakness for sex, a problem that has destroyed many other people and nations. When we seek to sin, we get trapped.  When God gives us a gift, what does He expect us to do wi...

Samson demonstrates the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. He is gifted with great potential but does not use it. We see Samson kill a lion but then greatly ignore the laws of Israel. We learn how the dietary laws in Leviticus affect these stories in the Bible.   Should parents overrule their children when they make bad choices?  What does the Bible teach us about marr...

Even though the nation is in great disobedience, God knows the condition of both the entire nation and of individual people and helps them. God can bless individual people even when the nation is in disobedience. We see God’s grace in reaching out even when people do not ask for it. We learn what is a Nazarite vow and how it affects Samson. We learn that no matter how much we’ve blown it, we can g...

We discuss whether or not Jephthah would have been justified in breaking his vow. We discuss Jephthah’s vow and learn that his daughter is not killed. Can flawed people be used by God?  We also again see Ephraim getting angry with another tribe of Israel.    Can people be in the will of God and still make foolish mistakes?  Can jealousy and hatred cause people to be unreasonable?  What should we d...

God refuses to help Israel because they refuse to repent, treating God like a repairman. Israel has cried out to God and God refuses to help. Why?  We learn that the book of Judges is a mirror that represents our lives today, showing us what we should do when we wander. We meet Jephthah who makes a very foolish vow.   Would God sell Israel to its enemies?  What would have happen for God say He wil...

Gideon’s son uses ambition and power to kill 70 of his brothers on one stone, and does it at Shechem, a place where God did a lot of good for Israel. Israel gives money to idols, which is used for murder. Israel forgets the true God and has one problem after another. Israel does not ask God for guidance and pays the price.   What happens when we hire relatives? What would cause tribes of Israel to...