Our Advent Soup and Study this year will happen each Sunday evening through Advent. We will be working one week ahead, in order to allow Pastor Karen some ideas, stories or additions for each Sunday of Advent, and Christmas Eve.
If you would like to participate in this study, we will begin on December 14th at 6:30pm. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall with a light meal (soup and bread), and delve into our study.
The scriptures for Advent 3 are:
Matthew 11:2-11 “2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, [Greek Are you the one who is coming?] or should we keep looking for someone else?” 4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 6 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” [Or who are not offended by me.] 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. 9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’ [Malachi 3:1] 11 ‘I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!’”
Psalm 146:5-10 “But joyful are those who have the God of Israel [Hebrew of Jacob] as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. 6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. 7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. 9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. 10 The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, [Hebrew Zion] throughout the generations.”
Isaiah 35:1-10 “Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. 2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God. 3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.’ 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. 7 The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. 8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. 9 Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. 10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem [Hebrew Zion] singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.”
James 5:7-10 “7 Dear brothers and sisters,[brethren] be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! 10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
Themes
John the Baptist;
The importance of questions and questioning;
Identity
Discussion Questions
What question did John send his disciples to ask Jesus?
Did you know that more than one person in the Bible had “disciples”?
What are some characteristics of disciples (or discipleship) that you think John’s and Jesus’ disciples had in common?
How did Jesus answer John’s disciples’ question?
What could have caused John to begin to doubt or question Jesus?
Are those similar to the doubts people might have about Jesus today?
What do Jesus’ examples (the blind seeing, the lame walking, etc.) tell us about where he focused his ministry?
What doubts or questions have you had (or have your friends had) about God in the past?
Do you think it is natural for doubts and questions to evolve over time?
What do you think are helpful practices when questions about faith arise?
Why do you think Jesus connected joy and truth in this passage?
How might it be possible to have joy, even when things aren’t going well?
What blocks you from seeing joy or looking for answers to your questions/doubts?
Do you think there is more joy to be found in truth or facts?
Closing Prayer