Come and See!

Friday, May 26, 2017

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (5/28/17)

Next Sunday, June 4th, is Pentecost, the birthday 
of the church. Please wear red.

Scripture
Galatians 3:1-9 (ESV)  
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.  [2] Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?  [3] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?  [4] Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?  [5] Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— [6] just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"? [7] Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.  [8] And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed."  [9] So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 

Galatians 3:23-29 (ESV)  
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.  [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.  [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,  [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  [29] And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. 

Questions for Reflection
1. If someone close to you displayed a lack of knowledge about a subject you knew well, what would you do about it?
2. What was the purpose of the Law? (3:19)
3. How was the Law put into effect? (3:19)
4. Why did God give both the Law and promises? (3:21-22)
5. How did the Law pave the way for the gospel? (3:22-23)
6. What freedom did faith in Christ bring? (3:23-25)
7. How does faith in Christ set us free from legalism?

Friday, May 12, 2017

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (5/14/17)

No Wednesday Bible Study this week (5/17).  We will resume on Wednesday, May 24th. 
Graduate Luncheon will be Sunday, May 21st following worship service. Please bring a Mexican dish to share.

Scripture
Acts 15:1-12 (ESV) 
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."  [2] And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.  [3] So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.  [4] When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.  [5] But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses."
[6] The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.  [7] And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.  [8] And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,  [9] and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.  [10] Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?  [11] But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."  [12] And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 

Questions for Reflection

  1. When faced with a problem, do you want someone else to solve it, or do you like to figure out for yourself what you should do? Why?
  2. What is most challenging to you about enforcing rules?
  3. When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Jerusalem, how did the church receive them? (15:4)
  4. What did the believing Pharisees say? (15:5)
  5. How did the church leaders respond to the Pharisees? (15:6)
  6. What did Paul and Barnabas add to Peter’s testimony? (15:12)
  7. What was wise about using a council to deal with the thorny issue of how non-Jews could be saved?
  8. How was the problem of this council larger than the issue of circumcision?
  9. When dealing with difficult issues, what do we need to include in the decision-making process?

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Presbyterian Women

In an attempt to expand our membership, the Presbyterian Women have decided to establish a second circle to accommodate more peoples' schedules.  Our first meeting to launch the group will be Sunday, June 4th, after church.  Food will be provided.  We look forward to seeing you there!  If you are interested in participating, please leave us your contact information (phone number and email) in the notebook in the foyer of the church.
Also, those who have Facebook, please join us at https://www.facebook.com/PWJunction/.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

May 2017 Newsletter

Click on the link to view this month's church newsletter.

May 2017 Newsletter

Have a great day!
~ Carmen

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (5/7/17)

Scripture
Acts 8:26-39 (ESV)  
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place.  [27] And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship [28] and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.  [29] And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot." [30] So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"  [31] And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.  [32] Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
     "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
        and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
             so he opens not his mouth.
    [33] In his humiliation justice was denied him.
        Who can describe his generation?
             For his life is taken away from the earth."
[34] And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?"  [35] Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.  [36] And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"  
[37]  [38] And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.  [39] And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.  

Questions for Reflection
1.    What reading material do you find difficult to understand?
2.    Who is one of the best teachers you ever had?
3.    How did Philip present the good news about Jesus? (8:35)
4.    What did the eunuch do after he believed in Jesus? (8:36-38)
5.    How does God use us to take the message of Christ to others?
6.    What passages of Scripture are difficult for you to understand?
7.    Why are some parts of the Bible difficult to understand?
8.    Where can we get help understanding the Bible better?
9.    When was the last time you explained the Scriptures to someone else?