Calvary Thunder Bay

We are starting back to Bible study tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10:00am. We are meeting in person (WOO HOO) in the fellowship hall but we are also offering the chance to join us online through Zoom, if that is the better alternative for you. The study and sound/sight quality might not be as good, but it is the best we can do. I have attached the Bible readings and Bible study but I will also have printed copies available when you come to the church.

See you soon!

Pastor Brian

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85772101768

Bible Study Wed. Sept. 15

Lesson 7

Proper 20

The Holy Gospel: Mark 9:30–37 Jesus had traveled into the region of Caesarea Philippi, some 25 miles to the north of the Sea of Galilee. There, surrounded by the shrines of paganism, He had drawn from His disciples their confession of faith in Him as the promised Christ, and had begun to teach them about what lay ahead of Him as the culmination of His saving ministry. On one of the foothills of Mount Hermon, or on Mount Hermon itself, He had displayed to the inner circle of the disciples His glory as the Son of God in His transfiguration. Now, as they traveled through Galilee, Jesus was still primarily concerned with the instruction of the Twelve. He again spoke plainly about what lay ahead for Him. We are accustomed to hearing the message of the cross in the context of our salvation, and so we find it strange that the Twelve had such difficulty understanding and accepting His words.

98. Why did the disciples not understand, though Jesus spoke clearly about His coming death and resurrection? Why were the disciples afraid to question Him about what He was saying?

Capernaum, a fishing village on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, was Jesus' headquarters for His Galilean ministry. His teaching tours through the villages of Galilee always ended with His return to Capernaum. On this occasion, Jesus focused on what the disciples—probably especially Peter, James, and John, the favored inner circle—had been arguing about as they had walked.

99. Why did the disciples not want to respond to Jesus' probing about their arguing? Why didn't Jesus just ignore His disciples' misunderstanding and arguing?

Jesus began, “If anyone would be first ..." The Greek verb is thelei, which implies a conscious, purposeful wanting or willing.

100. What's wrong with wanting to be first?

Jesus continued, "he must be last of all and servant of all.” The Greek word is diakonos, one who “raises dust by hurrying” to do what others have ordered.

101. How has this Greek word come into the life of the English-speaking Church? How can we cultivate the attitude of one who is ready to be the servant of all? (See Matthew 20:28.)

va

Reproducible by purchaser only. © 2008 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESVTM

31

Jesus focused on a little child to stress His point. In that society, caring for little ones was "women's

nd not appropriate for men, so Jesus' talking to His disciples about receiving little children strongly underscored their need to become humble servants. A leader of men, which they evidently wanted to be, gives orders to others; a caretaker of little children has to devote himself to serving their needs.

102. What does it mean that receiving (and serving) such a child is to be done in Jesus' name? What blessing did Jesus attach for those who are willing to serve others in His name?

The Old Testament Lesson: Jeremiah 11:18-20 Jeremiah was God's spokesman to Judah during the chaotic years before its conquest by Babylon. A century earlier, the Assyrians had conquered Israel, the Northern Kingdom, and had threatened Jerusalem, but had been repulsed by the Lord's intervention as they laid siege to the city, when the angel of the Lord went out and slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Judah, however, continued to be a pawn caught between rival world powers: Assyria and Egypt; then Babylon and Egypt. Judah's kings frantically sought strength in political alliances. The religious establishment promoted false security because of the temple of the LORD," a phrase that become a byword of false security. But Jeremiah persistently brought his message of doom, which was rejected by the leaders and was generally unpopular.

Today's pericope is the first of a number of passages in Jeremiah that are called his “confessions," In this section, he reacted to his learning of plots against his life by those who wanted to silence his judging call to repentance. Verse 21 indicates that the plot involved even people from Anathoth, his hometown. Even those close to him had turned against him.

103. How did Jeremiah come to know about the plot against his life?

104. How did he show his continued confidence in God's dealing with the situation?

105. Calls for vengeance in some Old Testament Scriptures, like this one, can be disturbing when compared with Jesus' instruction to love and to pray for enemies and to turn the other cheek. How may we understand Jeremiah's prayer for God's judgment of his enemies so that it is appropriate to his situation as God's prophet to Judah?

106. How does this Old Testament Lesson tie in with today's Holy Gospel?

Reproducible by purchaser only. © 2008 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESVTM

32

The Epistle for the Day: James 3:13–4:10 In this pericope, James contrasts worldly wisdom with the wisdom that comes down from heaven. James said, “Who is and among you? By his_let him show his_in the meekness of_. Life's direction is determined by the heart's desires.

107. How is "earthly, unspiritual, demonic" a descending triad of evil? What is at the heart of “earthly” wisdom? What result does such earthly wisdom produce in human society? Give examples of advertisements and TV commercials that display and encourage envy and selfish ambition.

108. What does it mean to you that the wisdom that comes down from above is "pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere”? What do all these qualities of the wisdom from heaven have in common?

109. What is the harvest of righteousness that is sown in peace by those who make peace?

James asks, "What causes_and what causes_ among you? Is it not this, that your_are at within you?" James says that this inner war even keeps us from asking God for what we want.

110. Why are we hesitant and neglectful about talking to God about some of the things our hearts desire? Why does God not comply with some of our requests? (See 1 John 5:14–15.)

111. Why do those who fight and quarrel, covet and kill to get what they desire still often find themselves unsatisfied even when they get what they wanted?

In verses 4–6, James says the friendship with the world that grows out of worldly wisdom is spiritual adultery; and he reminds us that God "yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us." God is not willing to share the hearts, minds, and lives of His people with that which is "earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”

112. James urges us to submit to God because "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." How does that submission to God enable us successfully to resist the devil and continually to draw near to God? Of what does James want to make us continually aware with his strong words that we should "cleanse [our] hands ... and purify [our] hearts ... be wretched and mourn and weep... let [our] laughter be turned to mourning and Cour] joy to gloom"? What is the end result of all of that?

Reproducible by purchaser only. © 2008 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESVTM

Bible study Wed. Sept. 15

Readings for Sunday, September 19, 2021