Archives of Previous Studies
Here you can download videos and handouts of previous Bible studies
August 22, 2019
Psalm 142: Sharing Our Worries With God
In our study of Psalm 142 tonight, we begin by noting how the Hebrew of the psalm is much later than David even though it claims to be a psalm of David and how the psalmist sees his present distress in the life of David. We then do the same and discuss honestly sharing our complaints, difficulties, and pain with God. We see how the psalmist, Jeremiah, and even Jesus Himself does this all the while completely trusting in God. We also note some of the messianic overtones of the psalm, explore how our suffering and deliverance can be important to others, and conclude by considering the bounty of God toward us and our great hope in Him.
August 8, 2019
Phili 2:6-11: The Self-Emptying and Exaltation of Jesus
Tonight's study completed our tour of the Office of the Dead with the Evening Office and a study on the canticle for the Office from Philippians 2:6-11 — one of the most theologically and morally profound passages in the Bible. We discussed its origin as a hymn and its context in the church and epistle of Philippi. We examined the stark contrasts of the hymn, e.g., God to slave and abasement to lordship. We considered Jesus' letting go and pondered its relevance for our lives. We digressed into impossibility by definition, i.e., that some things are impossible for God not because of a shortcoming of God but because impossibility is part of the definition, e.g., something cannot be and not be at the same time, and applied this to God not being able to die until He took on humanity. We spent considerable time on the obedience, voluntary submission, and voluntary humility of Jesus and the implications for our lives. We explored just how highly the Father has exalted Jesus, noticed a disagreement among scholars on interpreting one of the verses, and returned to the voluntary submission of Jesus along with our submission to Him in order to fully do the same.