Pastor Ralph

Q2. How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think?

Remember, we have agreed to respectfully and lovingly disagree with one another. What do you know? Perhaps we can learn from and be enriched by each other's understanding. (Note: I will exclude from the online discussion any who, in my opinion, are sarcastic and unloving in their manner.) Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? (Note: This question is not your excuse to argue, but to learn from one another's personal experience of partaking.)

Dear Friend, Welcome to the online Bible study forum for the Names and Titles of God. It's exciting to meet other people who are involved in this Bible study. Why don't you check in and share a bit about yourself, and what state and country you are from. Please do NOT include your e-mail address. Be discrete about sharing private things about yourself. Yours in Christ, Pastor Ralph

Q4. What kind of shalom will the Prince of Peace bring about in the New Heavens and the New Earth? What do we have to look forward to?

Q3. Why did Gideon name the altar "the LORD Is Peace"? In what sense did the Lord offer peace to Gideon?

Q2. "Save" and "Savior" are used so much in Christian circles that they have become almost jargon words that we don't even think about. What are synonyms for "save" and "Savior"? What does a "Savior" actually do to earn the name?

Q1. What was the responsibility of the next of kin to someone in his family who was in trouble? How did Jesus play the role of Kinsman-Redeemer for us? What does this say about God's love? What does this say about our worth?

Q4. (1 Peter 5:10) How has God shown his grace to you and your family? Why do you think Peter describes him as the God of All Grace?

Q3. How does God's steadfast love in the Old Testament relate to his mission of love in John 3:16?

Q2. What does faithfulness have to do with trustworthiness and keeping one's word? What does the Faithful God inspire in you? Why must faithfulness be part of our character as believers?

Q1. Why was God's willingness to forgive essential to Israel's survival in the wilderness? Was Israel contrite after turning away from the Lord in Exodus 34? What is so amazing about God's forgiveness?

Q5. What do we miss in our understanding of God if we remove the metaphor of Father and Son from our church vocabulary? Which feminine metaphors of God especially help you understand God's nature?

Q4. In what sense was God the Husband of Israel? What is the New Testament extension of this metaphor? What causes God to be jealous?

Q3. In what sense are Jesus and the Father one? In what way was Jesus distinct from the Father? Is Jesus God in the sense that the Father is God?

Q2. How was the intimate way that Jesus taught his disciples about God as "Abba" and "Father" different from the Jews' understanding of God as Father? How does God as Abba influence your relationship with him?

Q1. What does the concept of "father" teach us about God, especially the formal way in which the word is used in the Old Testament? According to the quote from Otfried Hofius above, which two aspects of a father underlie our understanding of Father in the Old Testament? How should they affect our behavior?

Q4. Meditate on the concept of God as a Spring of Living Water or a Fountain of Living Water for you. What does this say about God? About your thirst? About your future?

Q3. Why do we sometimes resist calling on God to be our Helper? Why do we try to do it ourself first? What is required of us if God is to be a Helper and Shepherd to us?

Q2. (Psalm 23) Can you remember any times when God has cared for you as a Shepherd -- in times of blessing and in times of trouble? What are you facing right now where you realize your need to rely on God as your Shepherd?

Q1. (Genesis 22:1-14) Do you think Abraham was really expecting God to provide a sacrifice, or that was just what he told Isaac? What support do you have for your position? Did you ever receive a last-minute provision from God? In what circumstances can we expect God to supply our needs? Any conditions?

Q4. (Psalm 121). What does it mean that God is our Keeper. In what ways does he "keep" or "guard" us?

Q3. In what ways is God a Rock in the above verses. What functions does a rock perform in Palestine?

Q2. (Psalm 3:3) In what ways is God a shield? In what ways is he our glory? In what ways is he "the lifter up of my head"? What does this teach us about God? About ourselves?

Q1. (Psalm 91) What is the protected one required to do in times of danger (verses 1-2, 9). What metaphors are used of God's protection in this psalm?

Q4. What is the significance of the confession "Jesus is Lord"? Why is this necessary for salvation, according to Romans 10:9?