John 1:1-2

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

From Background Notes [BN] for Jan 2nd & 3rd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

To summarize a bit, the Word (Logos) becomes "flesh" so that all might "see his glory", that is, his Father's glory, "full of grace and truth (Greek: alētheia).”

John 1:1-2

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

From Background Notes [BN] for Jan 2nd & 3rd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The writer of John’s Gospel is the philosopher of the four Gospels.

Luke 2:15

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 24th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

During the Feast of Tabernacles (that is, Sukkot) Jewish people have a tradition of imagining the arrival of seven shepherds, one each night, ancient worthies like Abraham, Moses, and David. In so doing...

Luke 2:8-9

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 24th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In contrast to rabbinical contempt for shepherds, however, Jesus distinguishes between the good shepherd and the hireling (John 10:11-13).

 

Luke 2:19

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 19th & 20th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In this way, she leaves for us the incomparable example of taking the Word of God into our hearts and allowing its mystery to become our treasure and its message our trust.

Luke 1:36

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 19th & 20th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In a single clarifying statement, the Gabriel declares: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (1:37). This language comes directly from Genesis 18:14...

Luke 1:34

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 19th & 20th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

What does it mean for God to do big things through little people? What happens when those little people turn out to be you and me?

Luke 2:35

So that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 12th & 13th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Mary’s firstborn was destined to unsettle the world, and one day it would push Jesus out of the world and onto the cross. There was no room for the troubler of Israel who would reveal the inconvenient truth about human beings.

Luke 2:12

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 12th & 13th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The problem of public space for God existed from the beginning of time. And so when we tell the Gospel story we remember that there was no room for Jesus at the inn.

Luke 2:6-7

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 12th & 13th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Just as light and darkness stand in stark contrast, so the conditions of Jesus’ birthplace are at variance with his true identity. Would we have expected to find him in such humiliation?

Matthew 2:9

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 5th & 6th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Gift-giving should look different in the hands of Christian people. It’s not about trendiness or keeping track of what other’s give to us.

Matthew 2:11

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 5th & 6th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

From these three references, interpreters have imagined subtle prophecies about the future of Jesus, in particular, the significance of myrrh, pointing to his coming death. What are we to make of these suggestions?

 

Matthew 2:1

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 5th & 6th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

How many of us have taken that journey from "the East" to the Christ child?

Mark 1:4

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 28th & 29th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Through prophecy and Gospel, the Bible launches the Advent story. Mark underscores the setting where the Good News makes its appearance: in the wilderness. As a topographic metaphor, the wilderness is that place outside of civilization.

Isaiah 40:6-8

A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 28th & 29th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In response to the prophet’s verbal paralysis, the Word declares the nature of human beings, left to themselves, on their own, without adequate resources for life. Listen to the words:

Isaiah 40:3 (NASB)

A voice is calling, clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 28th & 29th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The theme of the entire season of Advent is that of anticipation. We live into the experiences of God's Old Testament people and anticipate the hope he brings to us through the Messiah.

Luke 24:27 (NASB)

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 21st & 22nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The Divine Conspiracy invites a new expectation.

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 21st & 22nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Notice how something we are or do throws the spotlight on the character of God. Or, perhaps better said, "Allow the light of God to shine forth in unmistakable ways."

Leviticus 22:29 (NKJV)

And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will.

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 21st & 22nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

We usually associate thanksgiving with words or heart-felt attitudes. But the Old Testament raises the standard higher: it requires response in some concrete fashion, especially in the form of obedience.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 14th & 15th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The transformed heart, formed by the habits of the kingdom, has new desires. What would have once been “mine” becomes “others” and “God’s.”

Matthew 6:26

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 14th & 15th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The rich stand in danger of losing everything they possess, and losing their souls as well. The poor stand in danger of losing faith in their heavenly Father who takes care of them.

Matthew 6:19

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 14th & 15th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Our series concludes this week with an even more pernicious form of confederate value, one that derives its value through selfish accumulation in a “selfie” world.

1 Timothy 6:17

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 7th & 8th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Luke 12:13

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 7th & 8th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Entitlement tempts us all. Who has not felt that they have been short-changed?

Matthew 6:25

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

From Background Notes [BN] for Nov 7th & 8th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 31st & Nov 1st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

We live in a world of “the self-made men,” who on this basis claim to own what they produce.

Luke 18:18

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 31st & Nov 1st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

From the looks of it, the man was no doubt saying to Jesus, “Look, I’ve had a really fantastic life, supported by an abundance of possessions. I like my life as it is now. Is there any chance I can extend that opulence forever?”

1 Corinthians 4:2

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 31st & Nov 1st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

We call it “stewardship,” the activity of having and using the gifts of creation. Implicit in the idea is our awareness that “having” is conditional and does not involve actual ownership of what we have.

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you"

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 24th & 25th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

This is kingdom economics, free of anxiety about scarcity, and overflowing with trust in the gracious abundance of God for His creation. It all begins with trust. Do we imagine that God is stingy or generous?

Matthew 6:31-33

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 24th & 25th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The impact of the economic crunch was severe, producing signs of social disintegration, such as widespread emigration, a growing number of landless "hirelings", and a social class of robbers and beggars.

Matthew 6:31-33

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 24th & 25th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The impact of the economic crunch was severe, producing signs of social disintegration, such as widespread emigration, a growing number of landless "hirelings", and a social class of robbers and beggars.

Matthew 6:19

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal."

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 24th & 25th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Recall that it was the Pharaoh’s policy to accumulate the food supply, requiring bigger silos and ultimately slave labor.

Psalm 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 17th & 18th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

To overcome the fear of this darkness, the divine shepherd promises permanent companionship: “you are with me.” Along with the presence of Yahweh is His visible signs of protection, displayed as rod and staff.

 

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 17th & 18th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

What does it looks like to have the Lord as our shepherd. What does the Lord do for the sheep which makes their lives abundant?

Psalm 23:1-3 (NKJV)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 17th & 18th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Without a doubt, here is the most familiar of the 150 psalms, and for that reason might well be the most overlooked in its depth. Our design draws from it the statement “He restores my soul” (23:3). And yet such a hopeful prospect must be read in context with the psalm as a whole.

Mark 5:2

When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 10th & 11th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

There are moments that will “bind us” to live out our existence in the “tombs” of life if we do not get free. What are some of the “tombs” we live in?

1 Peter 1:17

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 10th & 11th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Living the holy life requires a healthy sense of awe at the purposes of God for us.

Leviticus 25:54

Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 10th & 11th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

No national group understood the joy of release and freedom better than ancient Israel whose story included the Exodus from Egyptian bondage.

2 Corinthians 5:18

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 3rd & 4th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

What has changed? What has been reconciled?

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 3rd & 4th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

It wasn't just that Paul believed something new, but he became something new.

John 3:4

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 26th & 27th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Elbert Hubbard wrote, “If your religion does not change you, then you should change your religion.”

John 3:3

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 26th & 27th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

And so when we study the story of Nicodemus, we are simply following the strands of thought which run throughout the opening chapters of the Gospel.

John 3:3

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 26th & 27th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

And so when we study the story of Nicodemus, we are simply following the strands of thought which run throughout the opening chapters of the Gospel.

John 3:2

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 26th & 27th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

But Jesus "knew what was in man". Nicodemus was no exception. He brought his own human condition to Jesus and reveals a bit of it when he says...

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 19th & 20th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Kierkegaard observes the many distractions that turn life into many fragmentary lives; the singular into the plural. In a single statement he appeals to God (and to his audience) for “purity of heart that wills one thing.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 19th & 20th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The world had a beginning and it moves toward an end that is neither terminal nor hopeless, but climatic and fulfilling.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 12th & 13th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Connection or isolation? These words which belong to the title of this week's study apply in a variety of ways to the mission God has given us.

1 Corinthians 9:19

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 12th & 13th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The Christian church in the West suffers from a bad case of rugged individualism. This has allowed the culture to influence the shape of its mission.

Mark 14:36

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 5th & 6th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Here in Gethsemane the reader glimpses a Jesus wholly committed to carrying out the deeper purposes of God, facing his "hour" with the confidence that doing the will of God was far superior to doing his own.

Matthew 26:36

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Sept 5th & 6th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

We might wish to have been there, a bit like the Lenten spiritual, "Were You There?" Would we have been with Jesus, at his side, or sleeping with the others?

 

Matthew 26:28

This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 29th & 30th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Through the faithfulness of Jesus, sin met its D-Day, and a new and living way was opened up for God kingdom to once more dawn with living power over sin.

Genesis 4:7

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 29th & 30th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In what sense, we might ask?

Romans 7:22-23

For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 29th & 30th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In 1973 the psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger wrote a book entitled Whatever Became of Sin? He lamented society’s rejection of a divine standard of right and wrong.

Psalm 42:2

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 22nd & 23rd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

At one time hidden (even as His name was absent from the Esther's book), He suddenly breaks forth through His wonderful works, in the lives of people like Esther, Moredcai, and, yes, in Jesus...

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 22nd & 23rd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

“Do not be afraid” depends on “for I am with you.” Esther learned the truth of that statement and the truth of Isaiah and Jeremiah who wrote decades before she lived.

Esther 4:14

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 22nd & 23rd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Our reading this week tells the story of fear’s complex layers.

1 Kings 19:2

So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow."

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 15th & 16th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Elijah's response defies everything we know about him on Mount Carmel, the courageous, zealous prophet, cleverly outwitting Baal's prophets, an instrument of the divine judgment on the day the fire fell.

1 Kings 19:1

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 15th & 16th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Our text this week stands in stark contrast to miracles of 1 Kings 17 and the shock and awe of 1 Kings 18.

1 Kings 17:21

Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 8th & 9th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Confronted by the abyss of death, Elijah dares to seek resurrection life from the God he had just before accused of taking it away.

1 Kings 17:1

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 8th & 9th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Miracles, wonders, and signs are common terms applied to God’s actions as human beings experience them.

2 Samuel 12:13

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 1st & 2nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The giant facing David nearly killed him, but the fierce power of God’s covenantal love was mightier than the arc of David’s sling or the cunning of his shepherd’s skill.

2 Samuel 12:9

Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 1st & 2nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

As long as David’s sins remained secret, they were the seeds of a giant threatening to slay him.

Hebrews 6:11

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 1st & 2nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

From our planning graphs comes the big idea for this week’s discussion:

“Strength, wisdom, God’s anointing are not guarantees of victory. It takes diligence...

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, says the LORD

From Background Notes [BN] for July 25th & 26th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In truth, David the giant killer was no underdog, victimized by a bully, and lucky in firing his slingshot at Goliath. On the contrary...

1 Samuel 17:8

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.

From Background Notes [BN] for July 25th & 26th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

What makes the story so interesting is that David refuses to accept the terms of the combat.

1 Samuel 17:2

Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.

From Background Notes [BN] for July 25th & 26th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Battle epics bring audiences to the brink of death and always require reflection about the worthwhile nature of dying in war when certain ultimate concerns are in the balance, such as a nation’s survival or the safety of one’s family.

2 Corinthians 2:14

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

From Background Notes [BN] for July 18th & 19th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

So it comes to be a very solemn question for us. What part are we playing in that great triumphal procession?

 

Acts 1:7

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

From Background Notes [BN] for July 18th & 19th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Why was Jesus so adamant here? It was because he knew the impact their perspective on the future would have on their mission.

Matthew 4:19

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

From Background Notes [BN] for July 18th & 19th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

This text offers opportunity to comment on the cost of mission, as we witness a fisherman’s family abruptly broken up by the call to mission. There’s nothing comfortable about taking up the mission and answering the call.

Zechariah 8:1-2

The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

The word of the Lord Almighty came to me. This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”

From Background Notes [BN] for July 11th & 12th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Promise keepers are not just a movement: they are a moral habit. God sets the gold standard for covenant fidelity across the generations.