Feb. 4, 2023 Pastor Rich Knight Deuteronomy 6:1-9 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2 so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days […]
Cain smiting Abel with God’s Expulsion of Cain from the Garden of Eden is a painting by Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) January 14, 2024 M.L. King Weekend Context: The story of Cain and Abel is the second story in the Bible. Ch. 1 is a poetic celebration of God’s Creation of all that is. […]
The Author: John One of the original 12 disciples, part of the Inner Circle w/ Peter & James. Jesus nicknamed John and his brother James, Sons of Thunder. cf. Luke 9:54 John’s Gospel calls him, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” – John 20:2 Jesus entrusted his mother to John’s care. – John 19:26 The […]
It’s been called, “the loveliest book in the world.” Luke Paul calls Luke the “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14). Luke was a Gentile. The only New Testament writer who was not Jewish. Travelling companion of Paul. With him during his second Roman imprisonment – “only Luke is with me” (II Tim. 4:11). Luke would have […]
Pastor Rich Knight October 15, 2023 Mark 5: 21-43 Introduction to Mark The 1st Gospel to be written in the form we have them today. Author: the traditional view is that Mark was a travelling companion of Peter and Paul, and that Mark’s Gospel records the teaching/sermon material of Peter. Peter calls him, […]
Sept. 24, 2023 Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church, UCC We’re studying the Gospels this Fall, in a series entitled, “One Good News, Four Distinct Views.” Today’s Gospel is the very first book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew’s Gospel is the most Jewish of all the gospels. He’s writing for […]
Sept. 17, 2023 Central Congregational Church, UCC Pastor Rich Knight We’re studying the Gospels this Fall. First, we’re looking at 2 themes in all 4 gospels. Last Sunday we looked at Jesus’ favorite topic to teach on – the Kingdom of God. We said, the Kingdom of God happens when God’s will is […]
Pastor Rich Knight Central Congregational Church, UCC Sept. 10, 2023 We’re going to be studying the Gospels this month and next. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the four accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. We’ll talk about the unique perspective of each gospel. But I want to start this week […]
Pastor Rich Knight July 23, 2023 Exodus 16:1-21 Before I read the passage, I want to offer a suggestion for studying Old Testament stories. It’s this: Don’t worry about, did it happen or not? That’s not the point of the stories! They were not written down to inform, but rather to inspire and instruct. […]
Pastor Rich Knight July 16, 2023 Exodus 17:8-13 – the setting is that the Israelites are in the wilderness. It’s two months after their escape from Egypt. Perhaps in the year 1445 BC. Amalek is mentioned in this passage. He was the grandson of Esau. Remember the Jacob and Esau story, where Jacob stole […]