Böcker av Guy Sayles

The Season of Advent is upon us, and we turn to the Gospel of John to move us toward the grand celebration of our Savior's birth. You might wonder why a Gospel that does not contain a nativity story would be chosen to take us through the Christmas season. The answer to this question is quite simple. Although John's Gospel does not say much about how Christ came to earth, it pays very close attention to why Christ came to be among us in the flesh.Each lesson will delve into a portion of the tightly packed and beautifully expressed prologue, which comprises the first eighteen verses of the Gospel. These passages will be connected to an event in the ministry of Jesus that gives further insight into the meaning of the prologue.John the Baptist is a major figure in this study as well. Although the writer of this Gospel does not develop the backstory of this extraordinary character in the way the other Gospels do, the power of the Baptist's message and the depth of meaning it contains are given in dynamic and dramatic style.This unit will take us a bit off the beaten path of Advent studies. With no angels to sing for us and no shepherds to guide us to the manger, we are left to find a different pathway to the overwhelming reality of God's incarnation, the Word become flesh. In this study, the wise men do not lead us to the Christ child. Rather, the one who cries in the wilderness takes us to the water's edge and introduces us to the Lamb of God. We will not be invited to hear the cries of a baby at life's beginning, but to be present with God in the beginning of it all. This study will not ponder a star that hangs over the city of David, but will invite us to experience the reality of a light that shines untouched by darkness.Welcome to Advent and to John's beautiful and bold account of God's incarnation.

This unit is partly about how Scripture came to us. Along the way, we will look at how the Bible developed from its roots in oral tradition to collections of written texts and finally to the biblical canon we now have. We will also look at how the Bible came to be translated from Hebrew and Greek into other ancient languages, such as English. We will seek to develop greater appreciation for all the work that was done by the preachers and teachers who spoke the word, the collectors and editors who expanded and organized the word, the scribes who copied, preserved, and protected the word, and the translators who translated the word. We will also seek to develop a greater appreciation for the God who inspired the word. We will also hopefully grow in our appreciation for the God who stands behind and within the word, for the Christ who fulfills it, and for the Spirit who enlivens it. All of that is going on right here and now, so this unit is also about how Scripture comes to us. Its words come to us as we make ourselves available to them by carefully and prayerfully studying them. In those words, we find ourselves drawn more and more into the life of God and into life with God. We are grateful for the great gift of our Bible, but what do we do with that great gift? Do we show our appreciation for it in the amount of attention that we give it? Do we approach it with an attitude of humility, asking God to help us understand what we need to understand, or do we come to it with an attitude of arrogance that assumes we already know what we need to know? Do we read our Bibles through the lens of Jesus, desiring that our study of the Bible will lead us to a life characterized by the kind of love he showed us and that only he can make possible in us? Yes, Scripture not only came to us; it also comes to us. Thanks be to God who made and makes it all possible-and to all the people who worked and work with God to make it all possible!

NextSunday Resources offers Bible studies designed to help adults study Scripture seriously within the context of the larger Christian tradition and, through that process, find their faith renewed, challenged, and strengthened. We study the Scriptures because we believe they affect our current lives in important ways. Inside, you'll find a Study Guide and a Commentary for each Lesson. For more small group Bible studies like this one, visit nextsunday.com/nextsunday-studies/One of the challenges of written correspondence is saying all you want in as few words as possible. Sometimes the most meaningful and personal letters are the ones with only a few heartfelt words. The same is true for the New Testament letters we will explore in this unit. Although short in length, Philemon, Titus, Jude, and 2 Timothy communicate large ideas. Their appeals to the early Christian church echo beyond the text and into our lives as Christians. In the next four sessions, we listen to voices from the early church that speak of transforming faith, complete commitment, outward actions, and persecution. In Philemon, Paul confronts the church with a new way of thinking that ultimately transforms the whole community. Second Timothy speaks of commitment, even in a world of persecution. Not only does the author provide encouraging words for suffering, but he also challenges us to endure. Our third session from Titus focuses on the persecuted church in Crete. We will explore how this group of Christians relates to the community at large. Their public behavior is the focus of our attention. In Jude, persecution continues for the people of faith. "Scoffers" in the church were causing major divisions. The writer warns Christians about false teachers, and he gives them advice on how to deal with their brothers and sisters who have strayed from faith. Although we can never understand the extent to which the community of faith faced persecution, the voices of the early church still speak to our own struggles and difficulties as we seek to follow God. Even more, their words summon us to respond. As we begin this journey, may we open our ears and be ready to listen for God's voice.

First Timothy is the first of three so-called "Pastoral Epistles" attributed to the Apostle Paul. The letter is called "pastoral" because the author offers guidance to Timothy, a young minister facing daunting pastoral challenges in his church. It provides a strikingly relevant look into building up believers and growing a church today. As we study 1 Timothy, we will address teaching and understanding the Bible, the character expected of a leader, training to be an example to others, and building relationships based on mutual respect. It's important to understand, however, that this letter isn't only for pastors. All who participate in the life of the church need to become better students of the Bible, members of a local congregation, and followers of Christ. Be open to how these texts speak to you. As you grapple with them, let your own personal journey be informed. This unit is also a good opportunity to give laypeople the chance to "peek behind the curtain" and see what church leadership really looks like. The more open we are to the text, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the insights of our fellow group members, the more likely that this will be a transformative experience for us all. NextSunday Resources offers Bible studies designed to help adults study Scripture seriously within the context of the larger Christian tradition and, through that process, find their faith renewed, challenged, and strengthened. We study the Scriptures because we believe they affect our current lives in important ways. Inside, you'll find a Study Guide and a Commentary for each Lesson. For more small group Bible studies like this one, visit nextsunday.com/nextsunday-studies/