The North Church Women

Who is the King of Glory? Lesson 1”A Snake in the Garden”

Genesis 3:14–15 taught us to look for the birth of a boy child who—through suffering—will destroy the snake, our ancient enemy who sought to undermine God’s creation and kill Adam and Eve.

Precious Pictures: The Parables of Christ, Lesson 7, Weddings and Waiting (Amy Katterson, July 20, 2022)

Parable 1: Matthew 22:1–14 The Parable of the Wedding Guests

1. Context 
   1. Context in Jesus’ ministry: Chief priests and Pharisees offended at parables (Matthew 21:45–46)
      1. Leaders seeking to arrest Jesus 
      2. Crowds held Jesus to be prophet
   2. Context in teaching: Jesus speaks again in a parable (Matthew 22:1–3a)
      1. Kingdom of heaven like a king giving a wedding feast for his son
      2. King sends servants to call those who were invited
2. Crisis 1
   1. Those invited would not come (22:3b)
   2. King sends other servants 
      1. Message: See, come
      2. Response
         1. Some paid no attention, went off to farm/business
         2. Others seized, shamefully treated, killed servants
   3. King responds
      1. To those murderers: anger, destruction, burning
      2. To servants: Those invited  weren’t worthy; gather new guests
   4. Servants gathered all they found, bad and good; wedding hall was filled
3. Crisis 2 
   1. King saw a man with no wedding clothes
   2. King inquires: How did you get in without wedding garment?
   3. Man was speechless
   4. King responds: bind, cast into outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth
4. Conclusion
   1. Jesus’ conclusion: Many are called; few are chosen
   2. Pharisees response: plot to entangle
5. Challenge
   1. What is your response to the call of Christ?
   2. What is your confidence to enter God’s kingdom?

Parable 2: Matthew 25:1–13 The Parable of the Waiting Virgins

1. Context
   1. Context in Jesus’ ministry: days prior to betrayal and crucifixion, teaching disciples about the end
   2. Context in parable: waiting for a wedding … ten virgins meeting the bridegroom
      1. Five were foolish, no oil with their lamps
      2. Five were wise, flasks of oil with their lamps
      3. Delay and sleep for all

1. Cry to Come
   1. Readiness revealed; all trimmed their lamps
      1. Foolish unprepared: lamps going out, presume upon the preparations of others
      2. Wise ready: enough oil for their own lamps but not to share, place responsibility where it belongs
      3. Foolish leave to buy oil; facade of readiness removed
   2. Bridegroom came, those ready went in to feast, door was shut
2. Coming Too Late
   1. Foolish: Open to us
   2. Bridegroom: I do not know you
3. Conclusion: Watch therefore
4. Challenge: As you wait for the King’s return, are you living in readiness?

Precious Pictures: The Parables of Christ, Lesson 6, Stewardship (Pam Larson, July 13, 2022)

A Parable on Stewardship ... The Parable of the Talents 

Matthew 25:14–30

Pam Larson

What does it look like to be a good and faithful servant? Watchful? Expectant? Working?

Aim: Be faithfully working while you watch and wait eagerly for the return of King Jesus

3 Scenes

• Scene 1 (v14–15) before he goes
  
• Scene 2 (v16–18) while he is away
  
• Scene 3 (v19–30) when he returns

3 main characters

• Master, King
• Good and faithful servants 
  •  The faithful are rewarded and that includes JOY! (Psalm 16:11; 1 Peter 1:8)
     
• Wicked and slothful servant a
  • contrast
    • NO commendation
    • NO more opportunities or responsibilities
    • What he has is taken away and given to the first servant
    • He has NO celebration
    • NO fruit in his life for Christ

What does a good and faithful servant look like? 

Be faithfully working* while you watch and wait eagerly for the return of King Jesus

* “faithfully working” does not mean good works you do to earn salvation … NO! But works which are the fruit that comes from faith, from trusting in Jesus. The focus is not on your level of performance but on faithfully and gratefully responding to your relationship with Jesus!

Oh friends, be faithfully working while you watch and wait … be ready, faithful, wise, prepared, and eagerly expecting his return. Be watching, waiting, working. 

Precious Pictures: The Parables of Christ, Lesson 5, Prayer (Lindsay Osborne, July 5, 2022)

Parables on Prayer

The Unexpected Guest, The Unjust Judge and Widow, 

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luke 11:5–13 and Luke 18:1–14

Lindsay Osborne

 

Pattern for Prayer  (Luke 11:1–4)

Unexpected Visitor (Luke 11:5–13)

• Pray boldly because God is a good father.
• Ask for the Holy Spirit, the power of the kingdom.

Unjust Judge & Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1–8)

• Pray persistently because God will give justice.
• Ask for justice, the coming of the kingdom.

Pharisee & Tax Collector (Luke 18: 9–14)

• Pray humbly because only Jesus’s righteousness can justify.
• Ask for mercy, entrance into the kingdom.

How to Receive the Kingdom  (Luke 18:16–17)

16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Precious Pictures: The Parables of Christ, Lesson 4, Preciousness (Julia Dembeck, June 29, 2022)

Parables of Preciousness

The Hidden Treasure, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Net

Matthew 13:44–50

Julia Dembeck

Aim: To find our supreme treasure in King Jesus.

Precious Treasure (v. 44–46)

By Surprise

• This treasure is hidden.
• This treasure is supremely valuable.

By Diligence

• This treasure is found in diligence.
• This treasure is supremely valuable.

Precious Treasure Application

Precious Warning (v. 47–50)

Context and Situation

Bad fish:

• What is the behavior?
• What is the outcome?

Good fish:

• What is the behavior?
• What is the outcome?

Application

Precious warning as an invitation

Precious warning as a call

Conclusion

 

Precious Pictures: The Parables of Christ, Lesson 3, Lost & Found (Jenni Naselli, June 22, 2022)

Parables of the Lost and Found (Jenni Naselli)
The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son(s)
Luke 15:1–32

The first two parables.  Can you find any repeated themes?
Main Characters:
Items: 
Quantity:
Repeated words: “lost” “found” “repent” and “rejoice.” 
Reactions: 

The last parable’s themes: 
Characters Change: (vs. 11) 
Item: 
Quantity: 
Reactions: 

The last parable’s repeated words:
Lost: 
Found: 
Repent: 
Rejoice: 

Application: So how do these parables apply to us today as Christian women?
Are you lost? Repent! 
Are you found? Rejoice! 
Are you grumbling/resentful? Repent and rejoice! 

Remember: Jesus ends these three parables with, “We had to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” 

Precious Pictures: The Parables of Christ, Lesson 2, Forgiveness (Charisse Compton, June 15, 2022)

Parable of Forgiveness: The Unforgiving Servant

Matthew 18:21–35

Charisse Compton

 

Context: Matthew 18

Peter’s Question: v 21

Jesus’s Two-fold Answer:

• • 77 times, v 22

Parable of the Unforgiving Servant: vv 23–34

• Scene 1:
• Scene 2:
• Scene 3:

Jesus’s Explanation: v 35

Applications:

• Humility leads to greatness.
• Forgiveness is costly.
• All sin is deadly.
• God will seek and restore his children when they sin.

KINGDOM Seminar (Amy Katterson, May 21, 2022)

Precious Pictures:The Parables fo Christ, Introduction, Dr. Jared Compton, June 8, 2022

Why did Jesus speak in parables? Dr. Jared Compton unpacks Matthew 13 as we begin our summer study of the parables of Jesus.

Exodus 40, Our Redeemer’s Glory (Pam Larson, May 4, 2022)

Our Redeemer's Glory!

Exodus 38:21–31 and 39:32–43 and 40

1–All accomplished! It was built, finished and blessed. (Exodus 39:32, 42-43)
2– Assemble the tent (Exodus 40:1-2)
3– Arrange everything (Exodus 40:3-8)
4–Anoint the furniture (Exodus 40:9-11)
5–Anoint the priests (Exodus 40:12-15)
6–Finally filled! (Exodus 40:34-38)
7–Access Denied! (Exodus 40:34-35)
8-Abiding Guide! (Exodus 40:36-38)
The rest of the story
Reverberations of Exodus in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life
Exodus in light of eternity
May the glory of Jesus, as seen in Exodus, lead you to worship!