St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church Bible Study

In this homily, Fr. Stephen Osburn reflects on what true forgiveness really means as we enter Great Lent. Drawing from a personal story from seminary, he shares the powerful definition given to him in confession: real forgiveness is being able to stand in the Kingdom of Heaven next to the person who hurt you and still say, “Glory to God for all things.” As we prepare for the fast, we are reminded...

In this Bible/adult study, Anthony Ally teaches on “Your Spiritual Family: The Saints and Godparents.” This is a catechism study for people who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure if they even belong in Church. We look at the real lives of the saints and see that many of them were strugglers who kept getting up after they fell. We talk about how to choose a patron saint who understands your specifi...

In this homily, we reflect on the Gospel of Matthew 25 and the simple but uncomfortable truth that Christ identifies Himself with the hungry, the sick, and the forgotten. When we serve others, we serve Him. When we ignore them, we ignore Him. As Great Lent approaches, this is not just about fasting from food. It is about training our hearts to respond immediately to love. The question we must ask...

In this homily, Fr. Stephen Osburn reflects on the Parable of the Prodigal Son as the Church prepares for Lent. Rather than focusing on sin alone, the homily centers on the Father and what repentance truly means in the Orthodox Christian life. Repentance is not fear or shame, but a return to God who is already waiting. The prodigal’s journey shows us that many of us only come to our senses after w...

In this homily, Fr. Stephen Osburn speaks directly about why abortion is not merely a political issue, but a profound spiritual crisis. Life is sacred because it comes from God, and to destroy life is to reject the image of the Creator Himself. This is why the Church cannot remain silent. The sermon challenges common excuses and calls Christians to move beyond comfort and convenience. Defending li...

In this Bible/adult study, we explore one of the most important and misunderstood principles of Orthodox life: oikonomia. The Church calls us to holiness, yet she also understands human weakness. Rather than crushing the struggler with rigid rules, she applies wisdom, mercy, and pastoral care so that discipline becomes healing rather than a burden. We discuss the danger of legalism, especially in...

On January 18, 2026, His Grace Bishop Gerasim visited St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church and preached on the healing of the blind man near Jericho. He connected this Gospel to the witness of Saint Athanasius, who defended the truth that Jesus Christ is one Person, fully God and fully man. The way we read the Gospels depends on who we believe Christ is, and the Church’s faith keeps us from reducing...

In this adult study, Anthony Ally explores how logismoi quietly damage the soul and how Orthodox worship brings healing grace. Drawing from Scripture and Holy Tradition, he shows that worship was never meant to be invented by human preference but revealed by God as medicine for the heart. Using examples from Exodus, Isaiah, Acts, and Hebrews, this teaching explains how the Orthodox Church mirrors...

Christ did not come simply to make us better people. He came to bring us back into communion with God. When He calls us to repent, He is not calling us into fear or shame but into healing and restoration. Repentance means turning around and changing direction, setting aside the noise of the world so we can focus on the Kingdom that is already at hand. The world constantly tells us what is good, bu...

The Feast of Theophany often raises a simple but profound question. Why does Jesus, who is sinless, receive baptism? The answer is that Christ does not enter the waters to be cleansed, but to cleanse. He comes not to improve humanity with advice, but to heal it by entering fully into our broken condition. Water is the source of life, and by stepping into the Jordan, Christ sanctifies creation itse...

In this adult study, Anthony Ally explores why the Holy Eucharist is not just important, but essential to Orthodox Christian life. Drawing from Scripture, the Church Fathers, and the prayers of the Divine Liturgy, this teaching shows how the Eucharist fulfills God’s plan to gather all creation into Christ and bring healing to the human soul. The Eucharist is the medicine of immortality, not a symb...

As we approach Theophany, the Church asks us to look honestly at how we come to worship. A story from Saint Basil the Great tells of angels writing the names of those who entered the church with prayer and zeal, while others passed unnoticed. The lesson is not about judgment, but about the state of our hearts. Do we come because we are hungry for healing, or because it is simply our routine? We li...

The Orthodox Church teaches that salvation is healing, not a legal transaction. Christ is the Great Physician, and the Church is the hospital where that healing takes place. Just as no one heals themselves by avoiding doctors and isolating from care, no Christian is healed apart from the life of the Church. Theosis, our transformation into the likeness of God, happens in communion, prayer, repenta...

In this homily, Fr. Stephen Osburn reflects on the familiar saying, “If you want to watch God laugh, tell Him your plans,” and connects it to the Gospel account of Herod. Herod believed he could protect his power by force, but God quietly carried out His plan through obedience and trust. God does not force us. He allows us to choose, and He invites us to follow Him freely. Fr. Stephen reminds us t...

Christmas shows us something we often forget. God works in stillness and simplicity. While Pascha celebrates Christ fixing what was broken, Christmas shows us creation as it was meant to be. God becomes man quietly, humbly, and without noise. The Nativity invites us to stop living in our heads and start focusing on Christ alone. Jesus never overcomplicated His message. Follow Me. Repent. Love God....

Christ is born, and that means something real has happened in our world. Christmas is not only about remembering the past. It is about entering the present reality that God is with us. When the Church proclaims “God is with us, submit yourselves,” it is declaring that the Kingdom of God is here right now. Christ has taken on flesh, not to visit us briefly, but to transform our lives and bring us i...

In this adult study, we explore what Scripture means when it calls the Church the pillar and ground of the truth. God does not leave truth floating in the world without protection. From the beginning, He chose to preserve His revelation through a people, first Israel, and now the Church. Christ establishes one Church to guard one faith, not through personal opinion, but through apostolic successio...

Christmas is not simply about remembering that Jesus was born long ago. In the life of the Church, it is an invitation to renewal. Christ enters creation so that we can be healed, restored, and brought back to Him. The Nativity reminds us that salvation is not about becoming better people on our own, but about being united to Christ who comes to save us. The Church returns to this feast year after...

God does not call us to a life of excuses. He calls us to the feast of the Kingdom. In the parable of the Great Banquet, the invitation is real, the table is set, and the host is ready, but people refuse because they want life on their own terms. That is the warning for every Christian heart. We do not get to place God somewhere down the list and still expect our faith to stay strong. The Christia...

In this Bible adult study, we explore the Orthodox teaching that the Church is not just a building or an idea but the living Body of Christ on earth. Just as Christ healed during His earthly ministry, He continues to heal today through His Church. The Holy Mysteries are not symbols alone. They are the means by which divine life is shared with us, restoring what sin has broken and making us whole a...

In this study we looked at the parable of the Ten Virgins and the simple call Christ gives every believer. Be ready. Stay awake. Keep your lamp full. Half of the virgins were prepared and half were not. The difference was not talent, background, or intelligence. The difference was the steady choice to stay ready for the Bridegroom. Christ invites us to live with that same steady heart today. We al...

Today, Fr. Stephen Osburn preaches on the Gospel of the ten lepers and the one Samaritan who returns to give thanks. He shows how this simple story exposes the way many of us receive God’s gifts yet walk away without real gratitude, while the outsider is the one who truly sees Christ and glorifies Him. The homily calls us to see ourselves in that one who returns, especially as we move through the...

In this Bible study we looked at the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. Christ gives us a picture of two very different hearts standing in the same holy place. One man only saw himself and told God how good he was. The other man saw the truth about his life, bowed his head, and begged for mercy. Only one of them went home healed. This is the path the Church calls us to walk. Humility is not...

In this adult study with Anthony Ally, we take a clear and simple look at the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of every Christian. The Fathers teach that the Spirit is the One who brings the grace of God into our hearts and makes the Christian life real. He is the bridge between heaven and earth. He heals our wounds, gives us strength, and guides us toward truth. Without the Spirit, there is no...

Today we look at how Christ challenges the people of His time when they cared more about rules than the God who gave the rules. The leaders became angry that He healed on the Sabbath because they forgot why the Sabbath existed. Christ reminds them that the law is a tool that leads us to God, not something we worship in place of Him. His healing shows that mercy and love always come first. As we en...