Encounter the Bible

March 30, 2021 Welcome to Week 10! This week we finish the "Mark track" of our reading by finishing the gospel of Mark and then reading through 1 & 2 Peter and Jude.  All four books are written to an audience that was experiencing some form of persecution for their faith.  Notice Peter's instruction to honor the government so they have no reason to accuse you other than for your faith.  As you read, you will also notice some similarities between 2 Peter and Jude.  My prayer is that you will be blessed through your reading, especially as you read about the passion of Jesus during Holy Week. As you read, keep in mind our reading questions.  Use these as general questions to keep in mind as we read to help formulate your reflections, observations, and questions. Our guiding questions are these: What stood out to you in the reading? Was there anything confusing or troubling? Did anything make you think differently about God? How might what you read change the wa...

March 23, 2021 Welcome to Week 9!  This week, we begin the second half of our New Testament reading. This week, we will be in the gospel of Mark, reading 13 of the 16 chapters.  There are some interesting things to keep in mind as you read Mark.  First, Mark is widely accepted as the first of the gospels to be written.  Second, the audience of Mark's gospel is persecuted Christians, mostly in Rome.  Third, the gospel of Mark is the shortest of the gospels.  Fourth, the gospel of Mark is considered a source for the (longer) gospels of Luke and Matthew.  Fifth, the gospel of Mark moves quickly.  Notice how many times you read the word "immediately."  Sixth, notice how often Mark uses the "sea crossing" motif to move from one story to the next. Enjoy your reading! As you read, keep in mind our reading questions.  Use these as general questions to keep in mind as we read to help formulate your reflections, observations, and questions. Our gu...

At the end of this week, you will have accomplished two major endeavors.  First, you will be half-way through the New Testament!  Congratulations!  Second, you will have finished the letters of Paul.  That's a lot to take in over 8 weeks. From your comments online and through conversation, I can tell that you are taking the reading seriously and have discovered some wonderful things through Luke-Acts and the letters of Paul. This week, we read the last of Paul's letters.  Again, you will see a bit of a shift.  While Romans, Galatians, Colossians, and Ephesians are largely theological, these last letters to the church in Philippi and to his colleagues, Timothy and Titus, are more personal in nature.  Paul is also getting toward the end of his life and wanting to make sure that the churches and their leaders are ready to lead without him.  Enjoy these letters; I hope you get the chance to read these letters in their entirety in one sitting. As you r...

March 9, 2021 Welcome to Week 7 of Encounter!  We're almost at the half-way point.  Congratulations on sticking with it and making your way through the New Testament. This week week we will be in four different letters from Paul.  Two of them you'll get to read in one sitting.  I sometimes wonder if we miss things from Paul's letters because we only read portions of them at a time.  When you receive a letter in the mail, do you just read a portion of it?  Chances are you read the whole thing and maybe several times through.  Enjoy reading through these letters this week.  They were written for you, too! You'll notice, too, that these letters are more theological than the earlier letters.  The church has "settled in" and now needs instruction on theological matters more than practical matters.  While those actually go hand-in-hand, the emphasis on theology should be clear as you read these letters. Keep reading!  I'm praying that all...

March 2, 2021 Welcome to Week 6!  This week we will be in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and half of Romans (we'll finish Romans next week).  As we read through these "early" letters of Paul, he seems very concerned about misunderstandings and wants to make sure the gospel is clearly communicated.  Maybe you understand Paul's concern.  If the gospel isn't preached correctly to the first generation, the following generations will continue in wrong teachings.  Paul had such passion for the gospel that he had no desire to allow false teachings to continue.  I hope you hear Paul's passion for the gospel and for those who have been saved by grace.  When we get into Romans, you might sense a shift in Paul's tone and message.  Romans has more of a "theological" feel to it.  The church is becoming more organized and it's time for the church's theology to be articulated.  Yet, don't miss the wonderful words of comfort and assurance.  Take some ti...