Concordia Adult Bible Class

The first principle of stewardship is this: no matter what we may store, it ultimately belongs to God. Any store house is finally God’s house. To help us understand this, God has given us a tithe. In the tithe, we not only give to God, we give back to God, since everything we have comes from Him in the first place. When we give back to God, we learn that God continues to give us what we need and even beyond what we need.

It feels like we’re becoming more obsessed with politics and elections. And even if we don’t care about politics much, we know someone who does! And their obsession can become our frustration. In a nation that is so divided, so scared, and so angry, how can the Church be different?

Grace is when God gives us what we do not deserve. In a culture that works on merit, that can be difficult for us to accept! Yet, even if grace goes against our cultural senses, it is a deep spiritual need – for each and every one of us.

Dr. Jeff Kloha continues in our study of Philippians.

Part 5 of this study of Philippians focuses on the message of hope, centered in the resurrection of Jesus and God’s “call from above.” This resurrection hope shows us how to forget the past and to look constantly to the future glory that we have in Christ

Christ humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross. He gave all. Paul says we are to have this same mindset. Before we can challenge others, we must give to them. What are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of others?

This week, Dr. Kloha continues his study of Philippians in chapter 2, looking at who Jesus is the and model He provides for us.

In Philippians 1, We learn how hardships even as severe as persecution and imprisonment can be evidence of God at work for the Gospel. A key theme is to recognize our calling as “citizens of heaven” who live each day, no matter the circumstance, by the power of the Gospel.

Philippians begins with encouragement to the church to live in hope in Christ in the midst of social and political challenges. The long and warm relationship between Paul and this church is emphasized. A key theme in the opening of the letter is that to live with Jesus Christ as “Lord” has both personal and political implications: How do Christians live with Jesus as Lord in a world with many “gods” and many “lords”? These teachings introduced in chapter 1 will be woven through the rest of Philippians.

As Moses enters into the twilight of his ministry, God picks Joshua to be the next leader of Israel. Do we pour into the next generation so they can lead the Church forward?

When we do not listen, God can reach us in many ways – even through a donkey. God’s preferred way to speak to us, however, is through His Word. Do we listen, or do we, like Balaam, refuse to hear God’s guidance for our lives?

Would you like to become a member of Concordia? https://concordia.churchcenter.com/registrations Once again, the Israelites are grumbling. This time, God disciplines them with death by sending snakes on them. We, too, are disciplined for our sins with death. But, as Moses held up a snake on a pole to rescue the Israelites from their sentence, we have Savior held up on a cross to rescue us from our condemnation.

The Israelites grumble again against God. Moses responds to their grumbling with anger and loses the privilege of entering the Promised Land. Responding to the grumbling of others with anger of our own does not solve anything. Our call is to respond with patience and love.

God makes Aaron’s staff bud a sign that He has chosen Aaron’s tribe – the tribe of Levi – to serve as priests before Him. God makes us His priests, too, to serve before Him by making a place of death – a cross – bud with life.

The Israelites are commanded by God to enter the Promised Land and take possession of it. But a band of explorers who go on a reconnaissance mission of the land are scared of its current residents. Because they refuse to go in, Israel wanders the wilderness for forty years. Our anxiety, too, can exile us to a wilderness. How do we trust God, even when doing so feels frightening?