Bible Study

Bible Study - 1 Timothy

In today's Bible Study, Pastors Rob Sauers and Nathanael Mayhew take us through an overview of the book of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy along with 2 Timothy and Titus are referred to as the Pastoral Epistles. These are letters the Apostle Paul wrote to individual pastors to encourage them and instruct them in their ministry. Though the letters are written to pastors, there is plenty of practical application to be found for everyone as we'll see from our study today. May the Lord bless our study of His Word!

Bible Study - 2 Peter

In today's Bible Study episode, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Rob Sauers take us through the book of 2 Peter. Peter here sets out to encourage his recipients and us in our faith, and warn us of others who would try to lead us away from the truth. This has been called the “Epistle of Knowledge” since different forms of the word “know” appear 16 times in this short letter. Chapter 1 encourages growth in true knowledge and emphasizes that the knowledge of the Scriptures is true. Chapter 2 describes the perils of abandoning knowledge. Chapter 3 gives us reason for confidence in true knowledge. We pray that this study will encourage you to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18).

Bible Study - 1 Peter

In our Bible Study, Pastors Rob Sauers and Nathanael Mayhew take us through the book of 1 Peter. This epistle is written by the Apostle Peter most likely near the end of his life. He is writing to those Christians who are “sojourners and pilgrims” in this world (2:11). Though this letter deals quite a bit with the suffering and persecution Christians can expect to face in this world, it often, and rightly called the “Letter of Hope.” That hope is the Christian’s serene and confident dependence on God that is based on the unshakable certainty of the resurrection of the dead which is begun and guaranteed in the resurrection of Jesus. As we study through this letter, we will be encouraged that no matter what suffering comes our way (and we can be assured that suffering will come) we can have a confident hope through our Savior. May the Lord bless our study!

Bible Study - Imprecatory Psalms

In our Bible Study, Pastors Rob Sauers and Neal Radichel discuss the Imprecatory Psalms. The word imprecation refers to a spoken curse, and so these are Psalms which speak curses against the enemies of God and His people. One of the more striking examples of this type of Psalm is Psalm 137:8-9 - O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us! Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock! Christians have struggled for centuries with questions of how to deal with these Psalms, and so our discussion focuses on how we should understand and use them. May the Lord bless our study!

Bible Study - Ruth

In our Bible Study this week, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Rob Sauers take us through a study of the Book of Ruth. This book is unique in that it is named after a woman who was not Jewish. Ruth was a from the nation of Moab. She married into a Jewish family and developed a very close relationship with her mother-in-law, Naomi. When Naomi set out to return to the Land of Israel, she encouraged both Ruth and her other daughter-in-law, Orpah, to return to their homes in Moab. Orpah decided to remain in Moab, but Ruth chose to remain with Naomi saying in Ruth 1:16-17, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” In this, we see Ruth's love for her mother-in-law, but, more importantly, we see her love for the LORD. Throughout her life, Ruth was continually confirmed in her faith in the true God of Israel.
The events in this book take place at the end of the time of the Judges. While Judges describes a dark time in the history of Israel, the book of Ruth is a very encouraging book, showing God's providential care for those who wait upon Him, even in dark times.
Throughout the book, we see ordinary heroes of faith - sincere Christians living their faith. They are an example of the godly living in ungodly times and a description of Christian love in action. 
We see Christ in this book through the role of the kinsman-redeemer. Christ is also a descendant of Ruth as she was the great-grandmother of King David.
May the Lord bless our study!

Bible Study - Judges

In our Bible Study, Pastors Rob Sauers and Nathanael Mayhew take us through the book of Judges. Judges is maybe not as familiar as some of the other historical books of the Old Testament, but it is a book filled some of the more exciting accounts in all of Scripture. The book covers a period of about 350 years from 1440-1090 B.C. During this time, we see Israel go through a repeated cycle of rejection of God, judgment, repentance, and deliverance. In our study, we'll examine this cycle, and talk about the role of the Judges whom God sent to deliver His people. We'll also consider how the events of this book apply to our lives today. We hope that you will join us!

Bible Study - Proverbs

In our Bible Study, Pastors Rob Sauers and Nathanael Mayhew discuss the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is one of the poetic books of the Old Testament. Hebrew poetry does not consist of rhyme and meter as English poetry does, but it uses parallelism as a tool to lead us into God’s truth.
 
Proverbs is an example of wisdom literature and is similar to other wisdom literature found in the ancient world and even today. Even without a special revelation from God, people everywhere have been able to distill certain helpful truths about human behavior into pithy saying. While this is true, Biblical wisdom literature, like Proverbs, rises above the rest. Its source lies not in the observations of sinful human beings, but in the LORD who created life and knows best how it is to be lived. The Bible’s Proverbs are rooted in “the fear of the Lord” (1:7). Therefore, they are entirely reliable and true.
 
One of the great challenges in reading this book is that Proverbs speaks very little about justification but is focused more on sanctification. As we study this book, we remember that Biblical wisdom finds its highest fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is the very wisdom of God.
 
This book speaks on a variety of topics that apply to the lives of God’s people today as much as they did 3,000 years ago when they were first written – a powerful testimony to the timeless value of God’s Word.
 
May the LORD bless our study!

Bible Study - Deuteronomy

Today, Pastor Rob Sauers and Nathanael Mayhew go into the last book of Moses, the book of Deuteronomy.  This book is Moses' farewell address to the Children of Israel after leading them for 40 years and preparing them to enter the land the Lord had promised to give them.  Here Moses reviews the Lord's promises to His people and all that He has done for them in the past, as He encourages them to be faithful and to trust in the Lord as they enter the land of promise under the leadership of Joshua.  They will also discuss how the Lord gives different gifts to each person.  Moses and Joshua had different gifts, but both were given by the Lord at the right time for the benefit of His people.  The same Lord still gives different gifts to His church through different servants, that His kingdom may be built up on earth and in the hearts and lives of His people.  Thanks be to God for His many blessings and promises!

Bible Study - Numbers

This week Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Rob Sauers open up the Old Testament book of Numbers in our Bible Study series.  Where did the name "Numbers" come from?  From the census taken at the beginning and the end of the book.  Why is this information included?  To show that this is real history, and to show the size of the people that God had brought out of Egypt, would provide for, and ultimately lead into the promised land.  Is there another more fitting name for this book?  The Hebrew title is "Wilderness Wandering" which describes the main content of the book.  Because of unbelief, the people were not allowed to enter the promised land of Canaan after they spied it out.  They would have to wander in the wilderness for almost 40 years until the older generation was replaced by a new generation whom the LORD would lead into Canaan.  Can Christ be found in Numbers?  He is found in a number of places, one of which is in the Bronze Serpent in Numbers 21.  The Bronze Serpent is a clear picture of Christ and how He gives life to sinners, dying because of our sin, through His death on the cross.  Learn about these questions and much more in the book of Numbers when you listen to this podcast.  The LORD bless your study! 

Bible Study - James

Today, Pastors Mark Tiefel and Nathanael Mayhew delve into the difficult New Testament letter of James.  Who is the James the wrote this letter?  What is the relationship between works and faith, and how can we reconcile what James write about works with what Paul writes about faith?  How does this letter apply to our lives today and our calling as Christians?  How are we to respond to sin in the our fellow believers and in the world around us?  These are just a few of the questions that they will consider as they dig into this valuable letter. We hope that you will join us!