Exploring Genesis, Preparing for Lent

On February 21, 2022 By Lee (@disciple96)In Bible study, Spiritual LifeLeave a comment

+JMJ+ Inspired by the Bible In A Year podcast, and memories of past Bible studies, I was exploring to see what I could find about something about a certain serpent. The serpent in Genesis is not called a snake, no matter how many times non-Christians try to mock it in that way. It’s more like a monster or dragon like Leviathan. We’ve already covered the serpent’s appearance to Eve and it will come up again later in Job. (See the links at the end of this post.)

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A brief overview of the New Testament Part 2

On April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 By Lee (@disciple96)In Bible study, Dr. John BergsmaLeave a comment

+JMJ+ I enjoyed working up last week’s post (Dr Bergsma’s overview of the New Testament) so much, I’m going to share part 2 of his presentation with you tonight, covering the Gospel of Matthew, and using the same memory devices—stick figures—that he used last time. The text will be quoted or paraphrased from the video unless otherwise noted. None of the following is original, I’m taking it all from his video.

Last week’s post

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A brief overview of the New Testament

On April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 By Lee (@disciple96)In Bible study, Dr. John Bergsma3 Comments

+JMJ+ In this post: a brief overview of the New Testament with handy tips and drawings by Dr. John Bergsma. And even if they are stick figures, they’re a whole lot better than what I can do. I’ll give you the video and then some screenshots that will help you get the idea planted in your mind. Drawing these yourself would help even more. I’m gonna try it later tonight, too, after I dig out a sheet of paper and a pencil. (The Story of Salvation series begins again after Pentecost.)

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What is all this stuff? The Bible

On June 7, 2019June 7, 2019 By Lee (@disciple96)In A Father Who Keeps His Promises, Bible study, Books, Series, What is all this stuffLeave a comment

A post in the *What is all this stuff?* series

When I was either in seventh or eighth grade (could have been freshman year in high school) I picked up the Bible I’d gotten at the Methodist church my family attended, and I read it from cover to cover. It was an RSV. I still have it, though the red dye on the edges of the pages got damp in the trunk of my car (accidentally left it there) and bled onto some of the pages. That was careless and I regret that it happened. I treasured that little book. But did I understand what I read all those years ago? Nope. Not most of it. But I was convinced that someday somehow I would find a way to understand it.

And one day I did. (Links at the end of this post.)

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Merry Christmas! Have yourself some free Bible study software!

On December 25, 2011 By Lee (@disciple96)In Bible Software, Bible study1 Comment

In the Resources section’s Bible study links I listed some free software for folks running Windows. I really enjoyed using e-Sword and I’ve been searching a year for something like it for the Mac. Last night I discovered that you can install e-Sword on a Mac…if you install something else first. That something else costs money.

But then I found MacSword, which has been re-named to Eloquent Bible Study (personally, I like the name MacSword better). It’s free, installs easily and there are lots of free modules (Bibles, commentaries, etc) you can download into it (which is easy, easier, in fact, than adding modules to e-Sword used to be when I was using it on my Windows machines before I switched; don’t know if it’s changed). You can also get PocketSword for your iOS device. Adding modules couldn’t be easier. Get it at iTunes.

Have a very Merry ChristMass! Peace be with you!

Feasts of Faith, Explore the Jewish Roots of Christianity with Scott Hahn, Brant Pitre, and Michael Barber

On November 2, 2011February 22, 2012 By Lee (@disciple96)In Bible study, Catholic Doctrine, St Paul Center for Biblical Theology1 Comment

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology has added another free online audio course: Feasts of Faith. Here’s the description from the site:

When God became man what became of the feasts of His people, the Israelites? What became of the Passover, Pentecost, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of the Tabernacles, the Lord’s Day, and other special days in the Jewish calendar? Did they lose all significance and meaning after the coming of Christ? Or, like the Old Covenant itself, were they fulfilled in the New?

Join Dr. Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center fellows Dr. Brant Pitre and Dr. Michael Barber, as they tackle those questions and more in Feasts of Faith: The Old Testament Feasts and Their Fulfillment in Christ. Over the course of this study, speakers will trace the evolution and fulfillment of the ancient Jewish Holy Days, exploring the many ways the life and liturgy of the Catholic Church are connected to the life and liturgy of the ancient Israelites. They’ll also help Catholics understand more clearly the Jewish roots of the daily practices of our faith.

Please note that they do ask you to register once at the site, but only once. You can come back and download or listen to or read the material offered as many times as you like. I haven’t listened to this one yet but all the other ones have been excellent and I expect this one is, too.

Freedom, slavery and the difference between them

On April 10, 2009June 12, 2019 By Lee (@disciple96)In Bible study, Words and Meanings1 Comment

This morning I was watching television before getting ready to head out for Good Friday services at my parish. I was channel surfing and flipping back and forth between “Bible Battles” on the History Channel and “Beauty and the Beast” on Chiller. The battle that caught my attention was the battle between Moses and Pharaoh in the Exodus (though for some reason I’d never really thought of it as a battle before). Now it so happens that I have the audio of Tim Gray’s excellent study, Adventures in Exodus on my MP3 player and I’ve listened to it many times. So my little ears perked right up when a military historian on that show began speaking about Pharaoh making the Hebrew people into slaves and loading them down with hard labor. And my ears really perked up when he said, to paraphrase,

There’s only one problem; historically speaking, it’s entirely false.

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Introductions

On April 9, 2009February 18, 2020 By Lee (@disciple96)In ConversionLeave a comment

Welcome to the site where I’ll be blogging my journey into (and within) the Catholic Church. More than a decade has passed now since I was received into Holy Mother Church and I won’t say it’s always been easy. But I will say that it has been powerful, intense, joyful and life-changing. The best thing I ever did was say Yes when I heard that still small voice calling me. I’m still learning to say yes. Things always work out better when I do. Listening, that’s important to learn, too. Of course, I’m still learning about that. Sometimes I don’t listen very well at all. (Everyone around me knows this. I was the last to know.) But enough about me. Let’s talk about the blog. And what I’ll be talking about on the blog.

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