The Gathering Bible Study with Ron and Carrie Webb

We all fall short of God’s glory—or good opinion of us, but because of Jesus, God’s opinion of us never changes!  So when Luke 2:14 says, “Peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased,” it’s referring to everyone.  God’s peace is a gift that none of us can earn!  The word, peace, means wholeness, quietness, rest.  When the angels declared peace on earth, they were referring to peace between Go...

In Luke 1, the angel, Gabriel, called Mary blessed and highly favored.  He didn’t say that Mary was perfect.  He emphasized that God’s grace and favor were upon her to empower her to carry out God’s will for her life.  Years later, in Luke 11, when a woman called Mary blessed, Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.”  The promise of God’s bl...

Our schedules reflect our priorities.  We make time for who and what is important!  When we make our relationship with the Lord our first priority and seek His guidance regarding the rest of our lives, He will prosper what we set our hands to do!  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. F...

To worship is to adore and serve.  Who or what we worship affects our thoughts, conversation, actions and even where we turn for help!  After their encounter with the angels and their visit to the newborn Savior, the shepherds returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard.  God’s glorious announcement of the birth of His Son brought new-found hope that washe...

God has given us gifts and talents through which we can share Jesus with those around us.  2 Chronicles 16:9, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”  One of the definitions of the word, strengthen, is “joining.”  God wants to join with us to accomplish His will through our lives—especially when we make sharing the gospel...

The Apostle Paul explains how believers today can learn much from Old Testament stories, “These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Deuteronomy 2:24 recounts God’s instructions to the children of Israel in how they were to enter the Promised Land.  We can apply the first two principles as we enter our...

The next principle we must apply when entering our promised land is to “cross over the river and take possession” of what God has promised as our inheritance.  Recognize there will be opposition.  We have an enemy who does not want us to enter into God’s rest.  We must engage in battle and know that God has given us victory.  Jesus has defeated our enemy and given us His authority over our defeate...

God warned the children of Israel to stay vigilant, to not become complacent, to guard their hearts against the influences of the world they were entering.  God wanted them to continue to live victoriously. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in ever...

We all face problems, difficulties and challenges.  Jesus called these things “the storms of life.”  Where do storms come from?  What is their purpose?  How should we respond—Lay down and quit?  Run and hide?  Or do we stand strong in faith and walk through the storm?  Should we ask “Why is this happening?” Or should we take the Apostle Paul’s approach found in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our pres...

Jesus taught in Matthew 7:24-27, “Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.  But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.  Wh...

During the “midst of the storm” seems an unlikely time to check your spiritual garden for weeds but Jesus taught that the worries or cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches and the lust for “other things” are weeds that choke God’s Word from growing and producing fruit in our lives. (Mark 4: 7, 18-19).  Jesus also taught what our priorities should be in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His ki...

God created us with three distinctive parts, spirit, soul and body, to work together to receive His benefits—even in the midst of a storm!  The soul’s job is to remember and decide to receive what God has already provided.  Psalm 103:2-5 says, “Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits; Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your diseases; Who re...

In the midst of the storm, God extends His grace toward us.  1 Jn 4:17 NKJ, “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”  Like the prodigal, our own attitudes and actions may have caused a difficult situation, “But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, …He gave us life when He raised Christ from...

This lesson focuses on the principle that if you are a child of God, if you have been born again, Christ lives in you!   “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬.  So in the midst of the storm, He is Present.  Isaia...

In Luke 6:47-49, Jesus taught that the Word of God is the only real foundation we can securely build our lives upon.  “I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to Me, listens to My teaching, and then follows it.  It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is wel...

In this race called life, we will encounter storms. “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”  Hebrews 12:1-2.  Don’t count the storms!  —Count the victories and the blessings!  “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them (your enemies, your storms). For the...