Posts by Brown Trail Church of Christ (Page 2)

Posts by Brown Trail Church of Christ (Page 2)

Lesson 9: His Temptations

Click/tap to download the handout With this lesson we consider the forty-day period immediately following the baptism of Jesus in which he experienced intense temptation. The event is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13. THE DETAILS The Setting Following his baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matt. 4:1). This is probably the Judean wilderness not far from the Jordan River where he had been baptized. Mark 1:12 says the Spirit “drove” him there.…

Lesson 8: His Baptism

Click/tap to download the handout With this lesson we consider the momentous event that launched the three-year public ministry of Jesus – his baptism. Some events of Jesus’ life are recorded by only one gospel writer. But this one (and a few others) is recorded by all four – adding, no doubt, to its significance. From this event arise several significant questions. Let’s consider some of them. THE DETAILS The details of Jesus’ baptism are recorded in Matthew 3:13-17, Mark…

Lesson 7: His Forerunner

Click/tap to download the handout Paul wrote that Jesus appeared on the scene of history “in the fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4), that is, when the time was right. The life and work of Jesus happened on God’s perfect schedule (Acts 2:23). It was customary in those days for the arrival of kings and dignitaries to be announced by a herald, or crier. John the Baptist would be that voice for the arrival of Jesus as he officially began his…

Lesson 6: His Childhood

Click/tap to download the handout Between the birth narratives and the beginning of his public ministry at age 30 (Luke 3:23), only one event in the life of Jesus is recorded (Luke 2:41-52). But from that event come some important lessons. The application points come from a sermon I heard many years ago by Dan Winkler. THE STORY Mary and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem every year for the Passover celebration (Luke 2:41; Deut. 16:1-6). Luke records one such trip, when…

Lesson 5: His Birth

Click/tap to download the handout The one part of the life of Jesus that most people have some familiarity with is his birth (though some things traditionally believed are not found in scripture). What sometimes is lost in the remembrance of the facts are the lessons we can learn from the facts. The birth narratives in Matthew and Luke contain more than information. They brim with application. THE STORY The announcement to Mary (Luke 1:26-56). Gabriel visits Mary, a virgin…

Lesson 4: Lesson 4: In the Beginning…

Click/tap to download the handout The proper place to begin a study of the life of Jesus is BEFORE his birth. Without a proper understanding of the deity of Christ, we will not fully understand his humanity. One of the most powerful and thorough pieces of literature on the deity of our Lord is the prologue of John’s gospel account (1:1-18). The main points of the following outline are from Merrill Tenney, John: The Gospel of Belief, pp. 63-74. THE…

Lesson 3: Introducing the Gospels of Luke and John

Click/tap to download the handout The word “gospel” means “good news.” When we use that word to refer to the good news of salvation delivered by Jesus and his apostles, it is singular. There is one gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Phil. 1:27). But “gospel” may also refer to a literary genre: a selective record of historical events in the life of Jesus designed to create and build faith (cf. John 20:30-31; Luke 1:3-4). In this sense, there are…

Lesson 2: Introducing the Gospels of Matthew and Mark

Click/tap to download the handout The word “gospel” means “good news.” When we use that word to refer to the good news of salvation delivered by Jesus and his apostles, it is singular. There is one gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Phil. 1:27). But “gospel” may also refer to a literary genre: a selective record of historical events in the life of Jesus designed to create and build faith (cf. John 20:30-31; Luke 1:3-4). In this sense, there are…

Lesson 1: The Historical Setting of the New Testament

Click/tap to download the handout Jesus did not spend 33 years living in a vacuum. He lived in the real world of the first century Roman Empire. He entered a world of politics, economics, and religion. Without an understanding of that historical context, our study of the Bible will always leave us scratching our heads. THE SECULAR SETTING Between the time of the Babylonian conquest to the birth of Jesus, the Jewish people had been under the rule of others…

Law and Faith in Galatians

A concerned preacher in another town contacted me recently regarding an article posted on our website in which I listed the following lesson from Galatians with accompanying scripture references from that book, “Justification is by faith, not law in general or the Law of Moses in particular (2:16-21; 3:1-14, 21-23; 4:1-5; 4:22-31).” The brother asked me to clarify that statement, especially in light of passages that speak of the New Testament being a law, such as Galatians 6:2, “the law…

Ministry in a Post-Lockdown Church (3)

A church cannot go through an extended period of ministry interruption and be the same on the other side. Nor should it be. God wants our troubles to change us. According to Romans 5:3-4, difficulties produce perseverance, which strengthens our character. That’s change. But such positive outcomes only happen when our trials are honestly evaluated and the lessons properly applied. We are still evaluating the last 15 months. We have not discovered all the lessons yet. But here is one…

Why I Love Camp

By Kevin Hahn Lord willing, we’ll be on our way Sunday morning to this year’s session of Camp Bandina. I love going to a Christian camp. I don’t love it because the counselors there are perfect, but because they’re servants of the Perfect One. As counselors, we all bring our faults and flaws right along with us, but we get a chance to serve God by teaching His perfect love and His perfect ways to the campers. I don’t love…