Hello again and welcome to the third online lesson of this month about the story “The Story and The Song” found on pages 12-17 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. I am glad you can join us. You and your family are invited to think and learn and read and pray around our chosen story.
     Children: As I have said before, this story is about our Bible and how important it is to us as Christians.
     In the last two lessons, you have learned that the Bible has two main parts, the Old Testament and The New Testament. The Old Testament was written before the birth of Jesus. The New Testament was written while and after Jesus was alive. You have also learned that the Old Testament is made up of 39 books (or chapters) and the New Testament is made up of 27 books.
     Today, let us talk about twelve of the more well-known names that you would probably recognize in The Bible: 
Adam and Eve - The first people created by God.
Noah - Built an ark before the great flood.
Abraham - Called the father of many nations. God promised him countless children.
Moses - The greatest prophet who ever lived who brought the ten commandments from God down from the mountain.
David - The only King 'chosen' by God for Israel. As a young man
he defeated Goliath.
Elijah - Stood against King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who promoted the worship of idol Baal and rode a chariot into heaven.
Jesus - Was a Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religion.
Peter - The first of Jesus's disciples and an apostle who was extremely devoted to Jesus and his mission.
Paul (formerly Saul) - Was not one of the Twelve Apostles and did not know Jesus during his lifetime, but he is considered the person most responsible for spreading Christianity in the region in his day.
Mary and Joseph – Jesus’ mother and his stepfather.
     Adults: Continuing the same theme of important Bible names, please read the list in the Children’s section above and then the additional adult list below:
Solomon - Was David's son by Bathsheba. He was a very wealthy and wise king over Israel.
Joshua - Functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Exodus and Numbers, and later succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelite tribes in the Book of Joshua.
Aaron – Was Moses's brother who assists Moses in leading the Israelites out of Egypt. God designates Aaron to be the first high priest in Israel.
Daniel – Provided an account of the experiences of Daniel and other faithful Jews who were taken captive in Babylon.
Isaac – Was Abraham's miracle child, born when Sarah was very old, and who was almost given up as an offering.
Jacob – Was the grandson of Abraham.
John the Baptist - Is considered a prophet of God who was sent to guide the Children of Israel.
Jeremiah - In a terrible time of despair is given an ultimate vision of hope in which God renews the covenant and invites the Gentiles to share the blessings.
Nehemiah -The last of Israel's judges. A gifted planner and organizer who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.
Samuel – Is venerated as a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Judas Iscariot – Betrays Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Luke – Was a physician, historian, and a traveling companion of Paul.
James the Great - Was the second of the apostles to die, and the first to be martyred.
Philip - Is one of the first men to whom Jesus called to follow Him. He immediately did so and then brought his friend Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew).
 
   The Bible has a "cast" of thousands, but some of them played more important roles than others. Of course, the most important character in the Bible is God, but because God isn't a "people," he doesn't appear in this collection of names.
~This week’s prayer: Jesus, I look forward to meeting in heaven all the people who helped write your book, The Bible. Amen
Have a good week,
Margo Greer 

  For this second lesson of three in September, we will continue to talk about the Bible and the story “The Story and the Song” found on pages 12-17 of The Jesus Storybook Bible (Free copies of this book at church or buying online).
     You and your family are invited to think, learn, read, and pray around our selected story.
     Children: As I said last week, “The Story and The Song” is a celebration of the Bible and how important it is to us.
     Please start this week by orally reading the story out loud, alone or with a family member or friend. Check out the pictures (illustrations) as you read. Pictures add lots of information. You could draw your own illustrations!
     The Old Testament is a collection of thirty-nine books about the history of our religion, which is called Christianity. The main message of the Old Testament is the prophecy, or prediction, of the coming of a messiah (a savior) to redeem mankind from sin. In short, the Old Testament is about the coming of Jesus. The Old Testament was Jesus’ only Bible and makes up 75 percent of our Christian Scripture, our sacred writings and beliefs.
     The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven books about Jesus’ life on earth. The main message of the New Testament is about Jesus’ earthly mission to do the will of God. The will of God is that all Christians should love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind” and also to “love our neighbor as yourself.”
     Our one and only God is in both the Old and New Testaments. The book of Hebrews (Old Testament) begins: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,” but in these last days (The New Testament) He has spoken to us by his Son.
     The very God who spoke through Old Testament prophets like Moses and Isaiah spoke through Jesus too!
     If you have any questions or comments, please share with Pastor Steve through this blog.
     Adults: Biblical references for this story are Psalm 19 and Hebrew 1.
     As promised, our discussion about the Bible will continue, this time with a closer look at the New Testament.
     The New Testament reveals Jesus in the flesh to us. We learn in the book of John that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. God is revealed in a new light to his people and that is as a father. In the New Testament we see the children of God (often called Christians) which are now Jew and Gentile receive the Holy Spirit.
     There are 27 New Testament books. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation.
     The New Testament Canon (A canon is a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine) can be sorted into four main categories:   
     The Four Gospels - The first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, make up the Gospels. Each of these books shares Jesus’ ministry, life, and gives a different viewpoint on events that occurred. These books were eyewitness testimonies of the life of Jesus Christ.
​ The Acts of the Apostles - The Acts of the Apostles is one book written by the apostle Luke that follows right after the gospels. It gives an account of the growth and spread of the early church.
     The Epistles - There are a total of 21 epistles (this word means "letter") in the New Testament. These are epistles or letters written primarily by the apostle Paul, who wrote fourteen of them. Each of these letters Paul writes has had an impact on the body of The Church whether it has influenced culture in an area or has been an encouraging letter to another believer.
     The Book of Revelation - The Book of Revelation is a book at the end of the New Testament written by the apostle John. The book was written through prophetic visions that John received about the return of Jesus Christ and the end times.
     As with the children, Pastor Steve will respond to anyone’s comments or questions.
~This week’s prayer: Thank you Lord for the gift and love of your sacred Word, the Bible. Amen
     Next week there will be one more online lesson for this month about the Bible. Sunday School will meet in person on September 22, 2024, after church services from 11am – 12 pm. We will enjoy a snack, oral read and discuss the story, and end with a craft. All ages are invited to attend, so put it on your calendar. J
Enjoy the mellow weather,
Margo Greer

​     It is fall once again and time to begin the new 2024-2025 year of online Learning Together lessons and Sunday School gatherings. Welcome back! I hope you had a super-duper, safe summer.
     As before, each month this online program will explore a new Bible story with three weekly online lessons followed up by an in-person gathering for Sunday School on the fourth Sunday of each month, except for December, from 11 am. to 12 pm. During our gatherings, we will orally read and discuss the story, do a craft, and say a prayer to finish.
     Learning Together lessons include a children’s section and an adult section.
     You and your family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around a story from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Copies of this book can be found at our church for free or can be purchased online.
     Our story this month is “The Story and The Song” on pages 12-17. Please feel free to ask questions or give comments to Pastor Steve by responding on this blog.
     Children: Please begin by making yourself comfortable and listening to the story read aloud to you located at the start of this online lesson.
     Our story is a description of our God and our Christian religion. It is a celebration of the Bible, which tells the story of Jesus, from the time before he was born to the end of His earthly mission. It is a celebration that God loves His children so much that He came to our rescue by sending Jesus.
     The Bible is divided into two basic parts, the first part called the Old Testament, and the second part called the New Testament. A testament states a belief or gives some sort of direction to those reading it.
     The Old Testament reveals to believers the truth of God from the beginning of time to 400 years before Jesus stepped foot on the earth. The New Testament covers Jesus’ lifetime and beyond. This second part of the Bible was written during the time of the Roman Empire.
     Adults: Biblical references for this story are Psalm 19 and Hebrews 1.
     Here is what I found to be interesting information on the organization of the Old Testament. The books in the old Testament are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, ,Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
     The Old Testament canon can be sorted into five main categories:
     The Pentateuch is the name for the first five books - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
     Historical Books chronicle the events of Israel's history. These books are Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, and Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
     Poetry and Wisdom Books describe wisdom in terms of practical knowledge. These books are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
     The Major Prophets are books that emphasize the relationship between God and His chosen people Israel. These books are Isiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
     The Minor Prophets are books that emphasize the relationship between God and His chosen people Israel. These books are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Combined, these categories cover almost all of the historical events before Jesus' life and ministry on Earth.
     Combined, these categories cover almost all of the historical events before Jesus' life and ministry on Earth.
     The authors of these books are written by some big names, some of the traditionally accepted authors include King David, who was said to have composed many of the psalms; Moses is also credited with writing the first five books.
     Various prophets from both the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah, like Amos, Hosea and Micah have written books in the Old Testament as well.
     These authors wrote over hundreds of years about their own experiences and about God's direction for them and for other people. As a result, their writings form an essential part of Christian theology today.
    Next week we will take a closer look at the New Testament.
     ~This week’s prayer: I thank you for all the people over many years who were true to you and wrote the Bible. Amen
     There will be two more online lessons this September about “The Story and The Song.” This month’s Sunday School will meet from 11 am. to 12 pm. on September 22 after church services. All ages are welcome to join the discussion and enjoy a craft!
Have a blessed day,
Margo Greer