8:30 AM Traditional Service

It seems difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile Old Testament accounts of violence and death, particularly those commanded by God, with the idea of God as loving and merciful. What is going on in these passages? As we’ve explored throughout this series, it is critically important to “never read a Bible verse (out of context),” but to take a deeper look at what’s going on. Much of the violence in the Bible was not approved by God, but done by sinful humans. The limited amount that is ordered by God always comes after an extended period of patience and pleading with people to turn from their wicked ways and back to him. Even though this is difficult to wrestle with, it’s important to remember that the dominant theme of both the Old and New Testaments is that God overwhelmingly compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. 

BIG IDEA QUESTIONS: Share an example in your personal life, in our modern times, or in history when you think that an individual or a group deserved punishment as a form of justice because of their unrepentant evil actions OR share a time when someone demonstrated great love and kindness to you even though you didn’t deserve it.