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Post by Lyn on Aug 15, 2012 1:40:28 GMT -5
As we begin this series, I'm reminded of what we are calling it, "God Creates His People." An appropriate title for an appropriate beginning, Genesis. I find it helpful to return to the beginning of a study and remind myself of it's purpose or theme.
Over the next 9 months we are attempting to grasp the bigger picture of God's work from the very beginning, through the saving work of His son and the continuing growth of His kingdom here on earth.
This is a first for me. For all my teaching time at South Plains, we have always divided up "The Story" into bite sized chunks, either by Bible book or by Bible character.
As we move forward together, I look forward to your encouragement and sharing as we remind each other of the Father who loved us enough to finish the story He began in Genesis by sending His Son to create a people He can call His very own.
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Post by arthurpare on Aug 30, 2012 7:26:21 GMT -5
"God Creates His People" is one of those multi-dimensional titles. Literally in Genesis, God creates man, the beginning of His people; after some generations, God saves one family, and eventually calls another couple out and we have Abraham, Isaac, then Jacob; all identified as God's people; and their descendants, the Israelites. Nearly anybody reading Genesis at the surface level can see this connection. What is sometimes less obvious is where you and I stand today. We say we are God's people, but what do we base that identity upon. Where do we differentiate between God's people and people of this world? What makes "us" different from "them"? Is the difference some ritualistic act of submission, acts of service, an attitude of penitence, or a deterministic model of the chosen being born at a specific time in a specific place to a specific family exposed to specific ideology?
Sometimes we are uncomfortable with these discussions. When we look upon scripture as a whole we get the clear impression that we are heirs, set apart, called to serve, predestined to good works. But what does that really mean? How do we fit all these concepts together.
I really am looking forward to this broad based study. I have long thought that sometimes we are disadvantaged like the adage "can't see the forest for the trees." New converts are frequently given better instruction in the overall picture of the entirety of scripture than those growing up in the church. We teach the details of every story, every tree, but rarely see the aerial view of how everything fits together into a cohesive whole. Not having grown up with a Church of Christ heritage, seeing how various denominations interact, and beginning a search of truth that was personal, not just a family heritage, has given me a different perspective than some of the other teachers. I really look forward to embracing the totality of scripture in this study.
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Post by Lyn on Aug 31, 2012 3:05:44 GMT -5
Thanks Arthur. Great post. The question of how are we different than Gods people long ago, raises more questions. Maybe the question is "how are we the same?"
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