Love Letters from Paul Galatians 4–6 (NIV) Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we come before your Word, which is perfect truth in its entirety, fill us with your Holy Spirit that we may, with our whole hearts, believe your Word and trust in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Galatians 4:1–7 Read Galatians 4:1–7 In what sense were we “in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world” (NIVUK) prior to Christ’s coming? Why is …
Love Letters from Paul Galatians 1–3 (NIV) Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we study your Word, which is perfect truth in its entirety, fill us with your Holy Spirit, that we may believe, contemplate, understand, and apply it in our lives. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Galatians 1:1–5 Read Galatians 1:1–5 What stands out to you about these opening words? Paul addresses not the “church”, but “churches” of Galatia. …
Love Letters from Paul 2 Corinthians (NIV) 2 Corinthians is one of Paul’s most personal and emotional letters. Unlike 1 Corinthians, which deals with doctrinal and behavioural issues, this letter reveals Paul’s heart, his suffering, his comfort in Christ, his ministry, his struggles with false prophets, and his deep love for the church, despite its foibles and failures. This book richly explores grace in weakness, the ministry of reconciliation, and the comfort of God for …
1 Corinthians (NIV) Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians gives us a vivid snapshot of a real church with real struggles. There were conflicts, misunderstandings about worship, questions about Christian living, and confusion about spiritual gifts. Sound familiar? That’s what I’ve always loved about 1 Corinthians: it’s real. Their church is not too different from our church today. From the Lutheran perspective, 1 Corinthians highlights our deep need for Christ’s grace, the work of the …
Love Letters from Paul God’s plan and practical Christian living As we continue through Romans, chapters 9–16 read like a set of heartfelt letters. Paul writes to a church he has never met, yet his affection is obvious. These chapters remind us that God keeps his promises, the Gospel welcomes everyone, and Christian love shows itself in everyday relationships and practical service. Martin Luther once said, The Gospel is not what we do, but what …
A note about the Bible Studies for 2026 The theme for the Bible Studies this year is “Love Letters from Paul”. Throughout the year we will be looking at various letters from the Apostle Paul to Christian congregations. The words that Paul wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reflect on many important themes of the Christian faith including who God is, what God has done for us in Christ, our life together as “church”, and …
The Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 146–150) Introduction Have you ever heard people criticising that Christian praise songs are too repetitive? Well, the five psalms that the Book of Psalms concludes with are also a bit repetitive! Each psalm starts and ends with the Hebrew word: Hallelujah. In your English translation, you should have “Praise the Lord” or something similar. (Hallelujah means Praise the Lord.) The Book of Psalms concludes with 10 Hallelujahs (opening and closing of …
Psalms – Hymns and Prayers of God’s People Book 5 (Psalms 107–145) Introduction Many see this collection of psalms as having the theme of “return from exile”. When compiled, they would have been of great comfort to those during the Babylonian/Persian captivity and to those who returned to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem. However, this is also a common theme in Scripture. The Exodus can be seen as a return to the land after an …
Book 4 (Psalms 90–106) Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s goodness Let’s begin our time of studying God’s Word with prayer: Gracious Heavenly Father, be with us as we come together to study your Word, and also protect our loved ones who are not with us. Through the Holy Spirit open our hearts and our ears so that we may be nurtured and sustained by your Word that is spoken through the psalms. In Jesus’ …
Book 4 (Psalms 90–106) Psalm 90 As we gather around God’s Word to study another psalm, let us pray together that God the Father will speak to us through the Holy Spirit: Gracious Heavenly Father, we come as individuals and groups into your presence. We come from the busy-ness of life, and we sit at your feet as Mary did. We ask and pray that you will lessen the distractions of life, that you will …
Book 3 (Psalms 73–89) We continue our journey through the psalms of “Book 3”. Following last month, we will pick two psalms that are not by David. These are from the sons of Korah. Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron (see Numbers 16). His sons, however, did not die (see Numbers 26:9–11). The descendants of Korah served the Lord God faithfully. Do the sins of our parents (or grandparents) stop us from serving …
Psalms – Hymns and Prayers of God’s people Book 3 (Psalms 73–89) Introduction Christopher Ash gives a fine introduction to Book 3 of the Psalms: Book 3 consists of Psalms 73–89. It has the scent of the Babylonian exile; this is most evident in Psalms 74, 79, and (probably) 80. The tone changes sharply from the emphatically Davidic themes of books 1 and 2. This is not to say that every psalm in book 3 …