July 15, 2001
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
God's Call for God's People- Don't Check Your Brain at the Door
Luke 16:1-8
"Jesus told his disciples: 'There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'
The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong
enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg- I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will
welcome me into their houses.'
So he called in each one of his masters debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied.
'The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.'
Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?'
'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied.
He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'
The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this
world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light."
Disciple Bible Study- Questions and Answers
Q. Who should take Disciple Bible Study?
A. Anyone who wants to grow in the faith. Disciple is a great Bible study for those who've never before studied
the Bible. Disciple will lay a great foundation to study the Bible during the rest of your life. If you have studied
various books of the Bible, Disciple offers seeing the Bible as a whole adding context to individual book studies.
If you already have studied the Bible intimately it will help you hone your Bible skills and knowledge and make
wonderful friendships within the church.
Q. How much time does it take each day to do the reading?
A. Disciple asks you to do a quick reading of the Bible. During the 32 weeks you will read about 75% of the
Bible. You are not reading for details trying to remember names, places, and events. You're reading looking for
the big picture. Your classmates will pick up other details that will help fill in the picture during discussion time. I
find the reading generally takes about half an hour a day.
Q. What is the difference between Disciple 1, 2, 3 and 4?
A. Disciple 1 is a big picture look at the whole Bible starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation. All three
Disciple classes spend the first 16 weeks with the Old Testament and the last 16 weeks with the New Testament. Disciple 2 covers four books being Genesis, Exodus, Luke and Acts. These represent the Law, the
Gospel and the beginnings of the early church. Disciple 3 covers the Prophets and the Letters of Paul. Disciple
4 will be available in the fall of 2001 and will cover the Wisdom writings of the Old Testament (Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes and Job) and the gospel of John and Revelation.
Q. What is suggested if I'm not ready to commit to taking Disciple Bible Study yet?
A. ALPHA class is an alternative to Disciple Bible Study. ALPHA is a 10-week introduction to the Christian faith
being offered this fall in three different forums: Tuesday night late night men's, Wednesday night for everyone
and Thursday morning for everyone. ALPHA asks such questions as "Who is Jesus?", "Why did Jesus have to
die?", "Why do I need to study the Bible?", and "Why Pray?" There is a Friday night, Saturday morning retreat
half way through the class focusing on the Holy Spirit. Classes begin in early September. You can register by
calling the church office ext. 1040.
This study guide is designed to allow you to dig deeper into the themes of the sermon. Study these passages
with a friend, a Bible study or on your own. We're investigating how God speaks to us through the use of Scripture and different types of literature.
In order to derive maximum spiritual benefit from reading these stories, ask your self the following questions:
1. What does this passage tell us about the character of God (Who God is)?
2. What does this passage tell us about the character of human beings?
3. What does this passage tell us about the relationship between God and human beings?
4. How does all of this relate to me?
Monday-God Speaks Through the Law Exodus 20:1-17
This passage is one of the most well known passages in the Bible, the Ten Commandments. As you read each
one, ask yourself the four questions listed above. The Law was given through Moses to the people after they
spent 400 years of captivity in Egypt. The Law gave the people identity being God's people. How do these 10
commands give you identity in today's society? What do they say about who God wants us to be?
Tuesday-God Speaks Through Poetry Psalm 139
Poetry speaks of emotions and the inner world of the human spirit. The Psalms are no different. The writers of
the Psalms are telling of their relationship and experiences with the living God. The 139th Psalm speaks of the
intimate nature of the relationship with God. How does it make you feel to be fully known by God? To always be
in God's presence? Read the 13th verse again. What does that verse say about the intimate relationship between you and God?
Wednesday-God Speaks Through the Prophets Micah 6:1-8
The role of the prophet in the Old Testament was to speak God's Word to the Kings and the people. The problem was it usually wasn't a word they wanted to hear. When the King and Israel strayed away from God, the
prophets spoke the Word of God to call them back in line. We need the Word of the prophets today because we
sometimes need to be called back into relationship with God. In Micah, the prophet reminds the people of their
heritage and how God has been their God. What is your story? How has God been your God? Micah shares
with people what is expected of them in verse 8. Is this different than what God expects of you today? What
does it mean to walk humbly with God?
Thursday-God Speaks Through the Gospels Luke 15:11-32
Perhaps the most well known of Jesus' parables, the story of the Prodigal Son has three central characters. First
you have the youngest son who represents those who fall away from God and could very well represent us from
time to time in our faith journey. The Father represents God and the older brother represents those committed in
their faith journey. Have you ever been the youngest son and strayed away from God? What was that like?
What was God's reaction to the youngest sons return? Has that been your experience? Why do you think the
older son reacted they way he did? What does this story have to do with COR's plan to reach the non-religious
and nominally religious of our day?
Friday-God Speaks Through the Letters Romans 8:31-39
Paul writes this letter to the Christian church at Rome who were made up predominantly of people who knew little about God. The Romans primarily believed in the gods of Greek mythology. In Rome where found temples in
honor of Jupiter, Juno, Isis and Serapis. One of the most important messages Paul wanted to give the people of
Rome was that Christ died for them, wanted to be in relationship with them, and nothing could separate them
from God's love. What does this passage say about who God is? What is your reaction to this kind of love?
What should our response be to this kind of love?
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