Outsiders
he was a tax collector, worked for the occupied power and stole money from his own people
What is an idol?
an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.
Name two symbols used to describe the Holy Spirit.
fire, wind, dove
Name two weird things about John the Baptist.
lived in the wilderness, ate locusts and honey, wore clothes of camel's hair
To prepare ourselves for the coming of God to us in the form of Jesus. To prepare for God breaking into our lives in new ways.
Why did Zacchaeus agree to pay back what he had stolen?
He was so grateful for Jesus' forgiveness.
Name 5 characteristics of God
loving, powerful, generous, forgiving, merciful
Name a Bible story where people experienced the Holy Spirit.
Pentacost, baptism of Jesus, Jesus tempted in the wilderness.
Who were John the Baptist's parents?
Zachariah and Elizabeth.
Name the four candles, ideally in order of the weeks.
Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.
She was messing up his dinner with an important person. He was annoyed that this disreputable woman was in his house, hanging on his invited guest.
When Moses went up the mountain to talk to God while the Israelites were wandering in the desert, what did Aaron, his brother, make for the people to worship?
A golden calf
Name at least four fruits of the Spirit.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
True or false. John the Baptist had his own large crowds of followers and his own disciples.
True.
Advent wreath, the color blue or purple, Advent calendar, daily devotions.
Name at least one rule that the church in Galatia felt the new believers needed to follow in order to be members of their church.
Geet circumcized, follow food rules.
Name the three brothers who refused to bow down to the statute of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
How might we experience the Holy Spirit in our lives?
prayer, listening to music, in church, from a friend, from a leader or mentor, acting courageous when we don't feel brave, finding patience we didn't expect, love we didn't deserve...
What is John always pushing the people who come to him to do?
repent, behave like people who follow a loving God.
Name one thing Mary risked by accepting to be the mother of Jesus. Name one thing Joseph risked by not divorcing her.
Mary risked her life, her reputation, her future. Joseph risked humiliation/embarrassment, his reputation, his future.
Name two groups of people who think they are insiders today? Name two groups of people who are outsiders today.
Insiders - powerful, influencial, pretty, popular, athletic, people who believe the right things/are on the "right" side of issues (think self-righteous). Outsiders - uncool, unpopular, not typically attractive, people who might hold unpopular opinions or behave in anti-social ways.
What does it mean to say that we are made in the image of God?
We share many attributes with God. We reflect something of God’s nature and character to the rest of creation
What does it mean to be "free" in the Christian sense? How does the Spirit help us to navigate our freedom?
The freedom we receive in Christ is a freedom from rules to love. It's not a freedom from rules to "do whatever we want." Being freed from fear and the power of death does not mean we do whatever we please. it means we are free to serve a more worthy authority figure (God, not idols, not the mob).
How do we make decisions within our freedom? How do we know what actions are moving us away from being servants to the rules/the law to servants to love and one another? Paul tells us to rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Why did John the Baptist refer to the Pharisees and Sadducees as “Brood of vipers”?
Because they thought they didn't need to change, to repent, because they were important, religious people descended from the right people (Abraham).
What does "hope" mean for Christians? How is it different from wishful thinking?
Hope in the Bible is much more like faith than wishful thinking. To hope is to trust in, wait for, look for, or to expect something beneficial in the future. Hope is like trust placed in a trustworthy God.