Because God speaks to us through the scriptures, studying them is a rewarding experience. Most of the inspired human authors of the Bible, as well as those to whom the words were originally given, were Jews living in the Ancient Near East. God’s words and actions spoke to them with such power, clarity, and purpose that they wrote them down and carefully preserved them as an authoritative body of literature.
The goal of this study is to examine the writings of these ancient peoples in the light of their culture and context. Over the five sessions we will go on a journey to discover the real faith and real life of the early church. For Christians today, faith in God can sometimes seem to be a cerebral choice. For the early church, it was the difference between life and death. We will discover the passion and commitment early believers displayed as they proclaimed Jesus in the face of fierce consequences and powerful adversaries.
We live in a world that is rapidly moving away from God and we are called to be light in the darkness. We will look at five early churches and how they were committed to be light in the darkness of their communities:
- Caeserea Philippi
- Sardis
- Pergamum
- Ephesus and
- Laodicea
What lessons do they have for us today?
Our five online studies will run each Sunday evening from 7:30pm to 8:30pm on Zoom beginning August 18. The video for each session will be available to watch in the week before our study so that you can be prepared and take part in the discussion. The study, with questions, resources and the link to our Zoom study will be available in the Studies menu at the top of this page.
If you are interested in being involved or have questions, please talk to Stephen Blackwell on Sunday morning or via his contact details in the church directory or click here to send an email.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)