You come home after a long, tiring workday. You are tired, maybe tense, and you want to rest. But as soon as you walk in, it starts: your housemates grumble, complain, and speak hard words. They talk negatively about everything that goes wrong. About other people. Maybe even about you. There is little thankfulness, little encouragement, little love.

In this study I want to look with you at the question: what exactly is persecution? We all know the stories from North Korea and countries in the Middle East, where Christians are arrested, hurt, and sometimes even killed because of their faith. This is the worst kind of persecution you can imagine.

Money can be a sensitive topic. For one person it is mostly stress. For another person it is something you would rather not talk about. Still, God knows that you need money. You need it for food, drink, clothes, and other things.

The fear of the LORD does not mean that you are scared of God. It also does not mean that you are unsure if God is for you or against you. The fear of the LORD is deep respect for God and for His Word, and a heart that says, “What God says is the truth, and I do what He says.” So it is about listening with respect. You are willing to do what He says.

The story of Abraham is special and unique. The Bible says that Abraham believed God, and that this made him right with God. So Abraham is truly a hero of faith. But at the same time, he did not live a perfect life and he also did some things wrong. I want to share a story with you, in which Abraham made a mistake, but God fixed the mistake. The special thing in this story is that Abraham was not punished for his mistake, but someone else was. Let us read it:

When you read the Psalms, you read about God’s great goodness, faithfulness, and power. You read about David crying out to God in trouble. Then you read about the victory, strength, and blessing he longs for from God and receives.

With what attitude do you go to church? The church is a beautiful place where the body of Jesus Christ comes together. That is also one of the important features of the church: we form the body of Christ together. When you look at the human body, you know every part is important and you need them all. Life becomes much harder without eyes, ears, a knee, or a thumb. Each part is needed for a body to work well.

It is vacation time. Maybe you already went on holiday, maybe you are on holiday now, or maybe you are going soon. No matter what: it is important to take time for rest. A time of peace and quiet.

God created the heavens and the earth in six days. On the sixth day He made Adam, and a little later also Eve. Together they walked with God in the garden. They could come close to Him and talk with Him face to face. Have you ever wondered: What did Adam and Eve talk about with God?

I find the centurion in Capernaum very special, and I believe we can learn a lot from him. In this study I want to briefly look at him and share a few lessons from his life, based on the Gospel of Luke. Let’s first read the story: