8 AM Service of Holy Communion
Communion Assistants: Bev Stobber and Chris Bennet
Ushers: Jim and Marilyn Hart
10:20 Service of the Word and Music
Acolyte: Joel Vojta
Ushers: The Lorangers
Offering: The Andersons
Bible Study : Luke 15:1-32
Purpose: To magnify the marvelous, undeserved forgiveness that God has given to us through Christ, and to inspire people to imitate that kind of forgiveness to others.
According to the parables of the sheep and coin (Luke 15:3-10), how does God respond when one of His valued creatures or treasures is lost (Luke 15:4, Luke 15:8)?
What do God and the residents of heaven respond when God finds a lost one (Luke 15:5-7, Luke 15: 9-10)?
Share of the estate (Luke 15:12). It was extraordinary for a son to request his share along with its income before his father’s death; it was equivalent to wishing the father’s death.
Pigs (Luke 15:15). Eating pigs was forbidden to Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8), and feeding them was unclean and "thoroughly degrading."
In the first two parables, The sheep (representing sinners) and the coin (representing sinners) just get lost and are found after the shepherd/women/God diligently for their lost valuables. What does this say about repentance..is it an act of God or of humans? In the third parable, what brings the son to repentance (Luke 15:14-17)?
Ran (Luke 15:20). A father could have seen his son a long way off only if he were intentionally watching for the young man from the roof of his house or from the village gate. It was considered extremely undignified and humiliating for a man to run, especially to greet someone. A man signified his own importance by waiting or at most walking to receive someone.
How does the father treat the son who insulted him and squandered his wealth (Luke 15:20-24)?
How does the older son respond his father’s generosity and mercy to his brother? Why does he respond that way (Luke 15:25-30)?
