Weekly Blog

In Christ, Bret

The idea came to me during my hermeneutics class in seminary when the professor showed a few of the Old Testament types and shadows, how Christ fulfilled them, and how the church inherited the reality to which the Old Testament shadow pointed through Christ. I then greatly expanded it to include many other types and shadows, and then recently added more verses specifically from the Gospels for the Gospel overview class.

In the coming weeks/months, I will be giving my teaching notes for an overview of the Gospels class I did for a local training group known as the Seminary Without Walls. This week is simply an overview of three key themes we had taught when we did an Old Testament overview. These are foundational to understanding how to read the Gospels.

As we have traveled through Mark’s Gospel, I have mentioned a number of times of the importance of reading each Gospel individually but also reading them together. Recently, a friend shared the graphic below with me, and I thought it gave a good snapshot of why this is so important.

On Sunday we looked at Mark 11:1-11, which is Mark’s account of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. This event began the final week of Jesus’ life, which we often call Holy Week. In After Hours for this week, I noted that this week is given huge emphasis in each of the four Gospels:

Last week I looked at Question 73 in our catechism – how the sacraments work. But there is one final question – what are the sacraments given to the Church? How do we know?. That is the focus of this question.

Last week I looked at Question 72 in our catechism – what is a sacrament. This week I want to use Questions 73 to look at how the sacraments work. What happens when we receive a sacrament? How exactly do we receive from God via the sacraments? That is the focus of this question.

Last week I looked at the importance of the local church from Question 71 in our catechism. Over the next three weeks I want to use Questions 72, 73, and 74 to look at sacraments. This is important because sacraments lie at the heart of worship. We believe that worship, discipleship, and the life of the individual believer and the Church are centered and built upon Word and sacrament. Most people have some understanding of the Word, but less on the idea of the sacrament. So hopefully these posts will help us understand this essential topic.

Recently we had several people introduced as new members of BRCC. This is such a time of joy for them and the whole church! I taught a bit about the importance of the local church that Sunday, but I thought it would be good to dive more in-depth in this post. To do this, I am simply copying Question 71 from our catechism. I hope this helps us understand this foundational doctrine.

On Sunday we had three young people baptized, beginning their life as disciples of Christ! This is such a time of joy for them, their families, and the whole church! I taught a bit about water baptism on Sunday, but I thought it would be good to dive more in-depth in this post. To do this, I am simply copying Question 75 from our catechism. I hope this helps us understand this foundational doctrine.