Category: Bible Study - Edmonds Presbyterian Church

Education and Outreach

3/1/2022

The Tuesday morning Bible Study has completed their study of Romans. Pastor Rob has set up a new Bible study on a book by Rachel Held Evans called “Wholehearted Faith” which will start on March 6 and last 6 weeks, and will be used for both the Sunday mornings and Tuesday morning classes. Rachel Held Evans wrote “I’ve come to believe that wholehearted faith isn’t just about coming to terms with the heart that beats inside of me. Wholeheartedness is about seeing and comprehending my place in a bigger family of faith. It is about risking hurt and confusion for the sake of the thing that so many of us seek: belonging.”

Rachel Held Evans was the New York Times bestselling author of several books about faith, doubt, and life, and featured in numerous publications including The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Huffington Post, and appeared on NPR, BBC, The Today Show, and The View. She served on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

In the foreword written by her husband, David, you will find her voice and maybe see her vision, her approach to others, her approach to faith and doubt and her approach to this fragile, fleeting life. Wholehearted.

The Tuesday morning Bible study will begin again on Tuesday, March 8 at 10 AM. Please pick up your books at the church or ask Kim in the church office to send a book to you.

Margaret S, Education and Outreach Elder

OUTREACH NEWS

12/1/2021

Hanging of the Greens took place on Sunday, November 21st, at the church, with coffee and cookies served to the volunteers who stayed after church. We had an enjoyable time together. Come and see how beautiful the church looks with our Christmas decorations!

This week’s bible study was canceled, but we will resume the week of November 28th.
Our current bible study on Romans will continue until Lent, according to Pastor Rob.

Jean G will lead the Tuesday morning bible study starting with Chapter 8 in our study guide. The same bible study will be held Sunday morning at church.

Last week, we studied Romans 6:1-23, about the book of Exodus, telling the story of how the children of Israel, who were enslaved in Egypt. God sent Moses to guide them through the Red Sea to Mt Sinai, where they left behind their life of slavery. God then gave Moses the Ten Commandments, which is the law. Being aware of the law gave us another obstacle, in that we are now conscious of sin and our need for forgiveness.

Respectfully submitted by Margaret S, moderator.

EDUCATION NEWS

9/29/2021

Our Bible Study is starting the fall program with the Book of Romans by N.T. Wright called “Romans for Everyone.” Pastor Rob met with us via zoom at 10am on Tuesday, September 14 and led off the discussion by presenting a chart and timeline showing the relationship of Paul, who wrote the letter to the people named therein. Some were relatives, some were friends, some were servants, and yes, some were slaves. All were welcomed and accepted into the early church as were many women who played a prominent role in the spread of Christianity.

Zoom meetings will continue on Tuesday mornings at 10 am with the bible study members taking turns leading the discussion. Jean G volunteered to lead the Tuesday morning meeting studying the first chapter of the book on Tuesday, Sept. 21. We will take turns leading the Bible Study discussion.

We will meet in person at the church following worship on Sunday, September 26. Margaret K will lead on the 26th, starting with Chapter 2 from the book which is available on the table at the front door.

WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US!! If you missed the first meeting that is okay, you will find a recording of the kickoff at the following link: https://youtube/ca2dMxl18N4
We hope to see you there.

Margaret S, Education and Outreach Elder EPC

Bible Study

9/29/2021

Our bible studies are starting. We will meet on Tuesdays at 10 AM on Zoom, and Sundays after worship. Please contact the office if you would like a study guide for the series. There is also an eBook available. Leadership will rotate among the participants of the group. You are welcome to join us whenever it works in your schedule.

Bible Study

4/28/2021

Our Zoom bible studies are starting a new series, “Heaven”. Heaven is hard for us to picture. We think of floating on clouds, singing praises and playing harps, or walking on streets of gold. While we know we want to go to heaven, we are a little nervous about what it will be like. In this eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study provide a biblical perspective on heaven--something richer and more exciting than we can imagine. We will meet on Tuesdays at 10 AM, and Wednesdays at 3 PM, with the same study each day. Please contact Kim in the office if you would like a study guide for the series. There is also an eBook available. Leadership will rotate among the participants of the group. You are welcome to join us whenever it works in your schedule.

Bible Study

2/25/2021

Our Zoom bible studies are starting a new series, “Heroes of Faith”. This study will introduce us not only to a series of Bible characters but also to a fascinating collection of roll models who will help us forge our own heroic faith. We will meet on Tuesdays at 10 AM, and Wednesdays at 3 PM, with the same study each day. Please contact Kim in the office if you would like a study guide for the series. There is also an eBook available. Leadership will rotate among the participants of the group. You are welcome to join us whenever it works in your schedule.

Bible Study

12/1/2020

Our Bible Studies are starting a new series, “Advent of the Savior.” This study will take a closer look at the familiar passages from Isaiah, Matthew, and Luke surrounding the birth of Jesus. We will meet on Tuesdays at 10 AM, and Wednesdays at 3 PM, with the same study each day. Please see the Calendar for specific dates this month. You are welcome to join us whenever it works in your schedule.

REFLECTIONS ON PSALM 63, A PSALM OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP IN A DIFFICULT TIME

11/10/2020

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”

This Psalm was most likely written when David was in the desert region of Judah while hiding from Saul. Water probably was scarce in that area. The One Great Hour of Sharing offering and other groups work to help bring water to people who are still living without safe drinking water. We can also think of lack of water as a spiritual longing for God. Water is used in Baptism. Genesis1:2 says the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. As I was thinking about this a CD I had on played “There Shall be Showers of Blessing,” using a water metaphor as a sign of God’s blessing. This Psalm expresses a longing for God from someone who trusted in God but could not openly attend any place of worship. David knew God’s love is better even than life, and he was able to praise God even during the difficult circumstances he was in at that time.

God is present with us now during this difficult time we are in with the COVID-19 virus. He is with people in areas where they face persecution for their faith, including people mentioned in the “Voice of the Martyrs”, like the 3 Christian families in Laos. They were driven from their village and their houses were destroyed because they would not deny their Savior and give up their faith. Their faith was more important than their jobs and possessions. God was with the Pakistani Christian who was fired from his job because he would not embrace Islam, even though he knew it was hard for Christians to get a well-paying job. God is with people who struggle with physical deformities like those helped by Mercy Ships. One was a 12 year old boy whose deformed legs made it difficult for him to help his father in the fields and to play soccer, which he loved. He was able to get surgery from a Mercy Ship doctor to straighten his legs, and with extensive physical therapy was able to have a normal life, a real answer to prayer for his family. I am going to close by reading verse 5. Note that it does not say “my body, but “my soul.” “My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lip my mouth will praise you.”

A devotional provided by Ruth R.

Bible Study

11/10/2020

Our Bible Studies are starting a new series, “Advent of the Savior.” This study will take a closer look at the familiar passages from Isaiah, Matthew, and Luke surrounding the birth of Jesus. We will meet on Tuesdays at 10 AM, and Wednesdays at 3 PM, with the same study each day. You are welcome to join us whenever it works in your schedule.

Bible Study

10/1/2020

Our Bible Studies are finishing the Psalms of Ascent, the portions of the book of Psalms from Psalm 120 – 134. We will continue to meet on Tuesdays at 10 AM, and Wednesdays at 3 PM, with the same study each day. You are welcome to join us whenever it works in your schedule. October studies are October 6th & 7th – Psalm 133; October 20th & 21st – Psalm 134.
(No study on the 14th or 28th.) We will begin a new series in November.